Gemini Effect
by gatechic
Summary: This is the continuation of The Invisible ManPrey Crossover series. Last Chapter is up!
1. Default Chapter

Title: Gemini Effect  
  
Third in the I-Man/Prey crossover series.  
  
Authors: MM with a little Alli on the side  
  
Rating: PG13-NC 17  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own any of the characters or basic story lines of "The Invisible Man" or "Prey". If there are any similarities of any person, real or fictional, dead or alive and any plot similarities to any current fics posted, being written or is currently floating around in someone's head is purely a coincidence. We're just using the characters for fun and will return them relatively unharmed. We're making no money off of this.  
  
Pairings: Darien/Darcy, Ed/Claire, Tom/Sloan  
  
Description: This picks up where "Human Equation" left off. Arnaud had just contacted Ed about helping him with a new gland prototype in return, Arnaud will help Ed with the so-called cure he gave Darien. There's just too many things that happen to give a complete description, so you'll just have to read. A/N: This fic will contain several flashbacks to parts in "Prey" and some we made up. This series takes place five years after Tom was put in the cage. We hope to be able to fill in some of things that happened. Of course this is solely based on our warped minds. Also, the NC-17 parts will be posted at the I-Man fanfic Yahoo group.  
  
*Warning* This part contains a MAJOR SPOILER for the last episode of "Prey". If you haven't seen it yet and don't want to be spoiled, then turn back now. This first part is mostly "Prey" centered with a little Ed and Claire thrown in the mix.  
  
Prologue  
  
Bound.  
  
He hated this straightjacket. He struggled against the worn straps, rotating his shoulders in circles trying desperately to seek the slack he desired.  
  
The last thing he remembered was the fight, his hands gripped tightly around the man's neck. He would have killed him, but they showed up with the tranq gun and ruined the party. The dart had found its way into his body and released its black magic in him. He awoke in purgatory, the white padded cell with its soft walls and floors.  
  
He needed to be free, so he got up and tried to crash through the padding, he even tried to bite his way through it. Then he spotted the mirror. He had backed himself to the far wall and took a charging run at it, hitting the unbreakable glass head first. For this grand effort, he received a nice cut on his forehead and promptly knocked himself out.  
  
Again he awoke. He felt something wrapped around his head. He suspected that the good doctor had come in and put in a few stitches, bandaged him up and quickly left the room.  
  
"Miss Blondie was here, hmm." he felt the bandage on his head and smiled, "Too bad I was out cold, I could have paid for her services with something special."  
  
His head hurt, but he didn't care, in fact it felt good.  
  
He sauntered up to the glass and yelled, "GET THIS DAMN THING OFF!"  
  
He growled in frustration as he continued to struggle with the restraints.  
  
Claire didn't know how long she had watched him. Time seemed to stand still for her and the others in the observation room. They watched him through the one way mirror.  
  
"What stage is he in, doctor?" The Official asked coldly.  
  
Claire didn't even bother to look at him when she answered, "I would guess at the tail end of stage three and going into stage four."  
  
Hobbes stood next to Claire and watched "What can be done for him?"  
  
"Well, since the old counteragent won't work, we have to wait and hope," Claire stopped when she noticed that two very bright ruby colored eyes stared right into her.  
  
"Hey, Claire, I know you're in there. I can hear your heart beating." He put his forehead to the glass and a malevolent smile came across his face, "Thump-thump, thump-thump."  
  
Darien put his hand on Claire's shoulder to console her, "What can we do to help him?"  
  
Claire regained her composure and looked at Darien with tears in her eyes, "We uhmm, have to wait and hope that you can find Arnaud and get counteragent for Ed."  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Five years earlier in Sloan's apartment.  
  
Ed was busy packing up his doctor bag with his blood pressure cuff, stethoscope and other items. As far as he was concerned, this experiment was over. Even if the booster worked, Ed had doubts that Tom would remain human for very long.  
  
"Any bulletins?" Tom asked as he sat on Sloan's bed. He stood up and slowly made his into the living room.  
  
"All your vitals are strong," Ed said as he shook his head discouraged.  
  
"And getting stronger, I imagine." Tom walked past Ed who sat at the kitchen bar with his back towards Sloan's door.  
  
"Look, Tom, I'm sorry this didn't work out," Ed said as he looked at Tom dismayed.  
  
Tom sat in the chair by Sloan's fireplace, he let out a soft sigh, "It's not your fault; you didn't even wanna give me the shot."  
  
"I know but, I hoped it would take. We all have a lot riding on this." Ed said as he looked at the dominant. He wanted it to work out. After what happened with Kelly and with little Kevin, the gene therapy would have given the humans a fighting chance for survival, a weapon of their own to fight back with.  
  
Tom returned the gaze to the disheartened scientist, "Obviously you're close. Don't let this setback stop you. You'll figure it out." Tom wanted to give Ed reassurance. Deep down he didn't think the therapy was a good idea, that it may cause a war. But Sloan was right, war was inevitable and he was willing to give the humans a fighting edge.  
  
"Do you think so?" Ed looked at Tom again.  
  
"Yeah, I do. And I'll be ready to try it again when you're ready." Tom smiled at Ed. He had faith in this human. Like Sloan, he was not an ordinary human. A single man could hold the secret to taming the destructive nature of dominants and Tom was looking at him.  
  
Ed had given him a gift after all. Tom had a chance to live as a human, to feel things that he was taught to repress. For the first time in his life, Tom had lived not for survival, but for life itself. And he had Ed to thank for that. Perhaps because of this, they could forge a friendship.  
  
At that moment, men dressed in combat clothing busted through the door at Sloan's apartment. Four men grabbed Tom while the fifth one injected Ed in the neck with a clear fluid. Ed was pushed to floor and he stared at the ceiling, unable to move. The same man ran to the subdued Tom and injected him with a different fluid. Two men dragged Tom out of the apartment while another one grabbed Ed's laptop and bag. As they left the apartment, one aimed his gun at Ed to make sure he didn't try to rescue Tom. Ed was left lying on the floor, dazed.  
  
Sloan pulled up to see Tom being dragged into a waiting van. She rushed over screaming his name, "TOM!!!"  
  
Tom turned, he saw Sloan and the look of despair on her face. There was nothing he could do as he was pushed inside the van. The door closed and the van drove off. Sloan ran after the van but was nearly hit by a car and stopped in her tracks. All she could do was watch as the van sped down the street and out of sight as it turned a corner. Sloan never saw the lady who sat in the back seat of her car, glaring at her.  
  
Sloan stood in the middle of street, frozen until she remembered, "Oh God, Ed." She raced up stairs and found her door still opened. She didn't hesitate and she ran inside, "Ed!" She heard a moan.  
  
Sloan looked down at her floor and saw Ed lying on his back, his eyes glazed over. "Oh God, Ed what did they do?"  
  
"Forgive me, Sloan, I'm sorry," Ed said hoarsely, barely audible. His mouth was very dry.  
  
Sloan lifted his head so he could rest on her lap. She rubbed the sweat from his face, his eye movements were unusual. "Ed, why are you sorry?" She could feel tremors coming from his body.  
  
"I didn't take care of him, you asked me and I couldn't, they.took him," Ed looked at Sloan, "I shouldn't have.the therapy.I knew it.you were right." A single tear left a trail down Ed's face. He couldn't move his whole body felt numb. He could feel himself slipping away. Before it was too late he said one more time, "Forgive me."  
  
"Shhh.not your fault; right now let's concentrate on you," Sloan said teary eyed. "I need to get you help." Sloan looked up for Ed's bag, it was gone and so was his laptop. She looked down at her friend and felt his pulse. She frowned, his pulse was irregular and his skin was turning blue. His breathing was slow and shallow. He mumbled something and then his eyes closed.  
  
Sloan's eyes widened. Fear gripped her that her best friend may die in her arms, "Ed.Ed.don't leave me.stay with me okay, I'm going to call an ambulance and then Walter." Sloan took off her jacket and laid it under Ed's head. She looked at him sorrowfully. She got up and went to the phone.  
  
Sloan heard footsteps as she dialed the emergency number. She ran to her fireplace and picked up the fire poker and stood in front of Ed. If they had come back for him, they would have to go through her to get him. She gripped the weapon with both hands and waited.  
  
First she saw a tall black man walk in followed by a teenage male. She looked at both of them and recognized the youngest one, "Shane?"  
  
Shane put his hands up, "It's okay, we're not here to hurt you, only to help."  
  
Sloan glared at other man, "Who is he?"  
  
"My name is Mark Ward. I know Dr. Walter Attwood. Like Shane said, we're only here to help." Mark looked at the man on the floor, "He needs help."  
  
"I called an ambulance, the hospital will take care of him," Sloan said not giving up her position in front of Ed.  
  
"You're both in danger. A hospital is not a safe place for either of you. You can trust us, Dr. Parker. Call Dr. Attwood and ask him yourself, but Dr. Tate won't live much longer if we keep talking," Mark said as he slowly approached Sloan.  
  
"Don't come any closer," Sloan said as she looked down at Ed. He was getting worse. He was having mild seizures and she knew they would get worse if she didn't get him help.  
  
Mark stopped and pointed towards Ed, "Dr. Parker, he's dying. Please let us help him. Shane helped you before. I'm telling you, you can trust me. Things have happened that you can't even trust your own government. They took Tom and they drugged Dr. Tate."  
  
Sloan looked at Ed again still holding on to the poker. She had no choice. She lowered the poker and stepped aside, "I'm calling Walter."  
  
"Fine, you do that," Mark bent down and picked up Ed.  
  
"Walter, where are you?...what?" Sloan looked at Mark and Shane, "Yes, they're here. Walter, Tom was kidnapped and Ed's been drugged.I don't know, but it looks an overdose.okay, I'll tell them." Sloan hung up the phone, "He said to meet at the rendezvous point. Guess I'll have to trust you."  
  
"We don't have much time let's go now," Shane said as he sensed humans on the way. They went down the fire escape and got into Mark's car and drove off to meet Walter at a private airfield. Mark called someone on the phone and talked about Ed.  
  
When he was done, Sloan asked, "I hope that was someone that could help?"  
  
"Yes, it was. He's a doctor and he's going to meet us at the airfield."  
  
"Airfield?" Sloan questioned.  
  
"Yes, the plan was to get you, Dr. Attwood, Tom Daniels and Dr. Tate out of the country. But we seem to have had a set back." Mark glanced at Sloan from the rear view mirror.  
  
Mark drove the car into a large hanger and came to a stop. Walter, Ray and a couple of people came towards the car. Sloan suspected that one of the men was the doctor and maybe the other men were the pilots of the two small leer jets she saw sitting in the hanger.  
  
"How is he?" Walter asked.  
  
"Not good, Walter, I don't know what they injected him with." Sloan said as she watched Mark take Ed out of the car and lay him gently on the ground.  
  
"What are his symptoms?" Asked one of the men, he looked up, "I'm Dr. Bateman, I only want to help."  
  
"He was conscious when I found him, but he passed out and hasn't woken up since. His pulse was irregular, breathing was slow and shallow, the skin coloration blue and sweaty. His eyes were moving oddly, like he couldn't focus," Sloan said as she held Ed's hand.  
  
"Sounds like an overdose alright," Dr. Bateman stated as he looked at Walter and Sloan, "Do you know what happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure, but I would guess that whatever they used on Tom they may have used on Ed," Sloan said.  
  
"Let's assume they used something like a hypo gun to administer a sedative quickly and effectively. It would have to be set to administer a dosage strong enough to sedate a dominant. That would mean that Dr. Tate received a dosage much higher than what his human system can tolerate." Dr. Bateman reached into his bag and pulled out a vial. He showed it to Walter. Walter nodded and he filled a syringe and prepared the injection site.  
  
"How long does he have?" Sloan asked.  
  
"I can treat the symptoms. But the rest is up to him and his will to live. I need to get him somewhere else so I can treat him properly," Dr. Bateman looked at Walter.  
  
Walter nodded, "Very well, let's go then," he said as he grabbed Sloan by her arm. "I need to bring you up to speed on what's going on here."  
  
"That would be nice, Walter, what happened? And Tom, what are we going to do about Tom?"  
  
"There's nothing I can do about Tom, I'm sorry Sloan."  
  
Sloan stopped, "What? We just can't leave him!"  
  
"We have to Sloan, we have no choice. Our lives are in danger, look what happened to Ed," Walter said sternly as he grabbed her arm again to get her on the plane. "I'll explain everything, Sloan, I promise."  
  
Shane came running, "Humans are coming!"  
  
Ray turned and ran to the front of the hanger. He looked through the night time vision binoculars, "He's right, they look like military and they're coming fast!"  
  
Walter came up to Ray, "How far are they?"  
  
"You better get on that plane," Ray said as he looked at Walter. He nodded his head.  
  
Walter patted Ray on the back, "Good luck, Ray, hope to see you soon." Walter headed back towards the plane.  
  
Mark and Dr. Bateman loaded Ed on the other plane. The doors were pulled opened in the back of the hanger. The pilots had planned on going out the front, but that wasn't going to happen. The jets engines were started and they rolled out.  
  
Some of the hummers broke off to block the planes. Ray and a few of the dominants who remained opened fired on the hummers. They took aim at the tires and blew them out. Ray watched behind him as the two jets mad their way to a runway. His attention quickly returned to the government agents who were now firing at them. One of the dominants shot out the lights in the hanger for a quick get away.  
  
Ray and the dominants ran for one of the cars and took off. Ray watched the two jets soar into the air. He gave a salute and wished his friends well.  
  
One of the agents watched the jets. He picked up his phone, "They got away. Some of them stayed behind and stopped us.should we call in the jets to give chase?"  
  
"No, let them go. Just track the planes and tell me where they end up. We'll get them sooner or later. Could you tell if Dr. Tate was on one of the planes?"  
  
"No, ma'am. We don't have that information."  
  
The lady in car slammed her phone down, "Damn, looks like I've underestimated Walter again."  
  
Back on one of the planes, Sloan watched the other plane slowly make a turn and head in another direction. She noticed that the plane she was on was not doing the same, "Walter, why aren't we turning?"  
  
"We're splitting up," Walter paused and then continued, "Sloan, my boss betrayed us earlier."  
  
"What? How?" Sloan asked.  
  
Walter proceeded to tell Sloan about Mark Ward, how he represented a fraction of dominants who wanted co-existence. They were able to get UN recognition and a voice. Walter then met with the leader of the fraction and he had been gunned down. Later with the help of Ray, it was determined that humans had fired on them with the intent of killing everyone there. He told her how he left his boss on a deserted road and threaten to go to the press with the story of the conspiracy.  
  
Sloan sat in silence, taking in every word. Walter continued his story, "She said that we're all expendable, Sloan. I didn't think she would go this far. Tell me, what happened at your apartment?"  
  
"Walter," Sloan looked at him, he didn't know what Ed had done, "Ed injected Tom with the gene therapy."  
  
"What? How could he, he knows that it wasn't ready yet. How could he act so irresponsibly?" Walter became outraged.  
  
"It wasn't Ed's fault, he refused, but Tom insisted. Ed had tried it on a monkey and at the time it worked. Then the monkey died, but by then it was already too late. Tom survived, he was human, Walter. Ed's gene therapy worked for awhile, but then he started to revert back to the 1.6% differential. I went back to the lab to get a booster but I couldn't get in. The guard wouldn't let me in and he said that you weren't my boss anymore. I went back to my apartment and that's when I saw them taking Tom away. I ran upstairs and found Ed lying on the floor. They took his laptop, Walter, with all his notes on the therapy and the results of Tom's conversion."  
  
Walter looked out the window, "I can't believe what you allowed Ed to do without telling me. Ed should know better also."  
  
"Walter, Ed was beating himself up over what happened when I found him. He blames himself and will probably die with that guilt. What happened has happened and there's nothing we can do about it now. Is Ray with Ed on the other plane?" Sloan asked.  
  
"No, Ray stayed on the ground and provided us with a way to escape."  
  
Sloan stood up, "You let Ed on a plane with dominants that we don't know? And Ray, you left him behind?"  
  
Walter looked up at Sloan, "Relax, Sloan, Ed's in good hands. I trust Mark. Right now, I trust them more with Ed's life then I would our own people."  
  
"What are you saying?" Sloan sat back down, "That your boss meant to kill Ed?"  
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Walter said seriously. "As I told you earlier, the meeting between the leader and me was a set-up to discredit the idea of co-existence. The dominants will blame the humans for this attack and they'll use it to prove their point that co-existence is not an option."  
  
"What does Ed have to do with this?" Sloan asked. She took a quick glance out the window and didn't see the plane anymore. She bowed her head and her thoughts went to the men in her life, her lover and the other, a best friend. She quickly pushed the thought back that she may never see them again.  
  
"With the co-existence leader as a martyr for the dominants, the humans would need one too. Who better than the one who discovered the nanites in the juice boxes and how to stop them? The one responsible for the Spanish Influenza vaccine and almost died from the flu himself." Walter looked solemnly at Sloan.  
  
"And the one who possibly came up with a way to alter dominant DNA," Sloan added, "The perfect human martyr."  
  
"Only, they won't have a body now. I don't think you were supposed to find Ed alive, Sloan. It would have been arranged for Tom to be accused of killing Ed." Walter looked out the window himself.  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I had my boss' phone and looked up all the numbers she had called in the last few hours. I returned some of those calls myself. One of them was to the district attorney, some to the White House and one to the coroner's office. Sloan, Ed was supposed to die and his cause of death was already determined."  
  
Sloan started to cry, "My God, how could she do this?"  
  
"She doesn't want co-existence and she'll do anything to prevent it. They have Ed's research and he's expendable. He gave them the head start they needed." Walter got up to sit next to Sloan, "I told my superior what Ed was up to. I now know that we were all set up. When one of us had come up with a means to minimize the threat, we would be expendable. And it looks like Ed was supposed to be the second one after me."  
  
"Will she come looking for us?" Sloan asked.  
  
"I don't know that, Sloan. But that's why we left in separate planes. I don't know where they're taking Ed and they won't know where we're going. It's in our best interest to be left in the dark. I have no way of contacting Mark and vice a versa. I'm sorry, Sloan, that this happened. I should have seen it coming."  
  
"We'll never know if Ed survives or not? Walter, I can't do that, I've got to know, I've got to see him, to tell him how much I care about him. To tell him that's it's not his fault. I might lose the two men I care the most about and they could die alone with strangers. Why didn't you let me go with Ed?" Sloan said in anger. She didn't want to hear Walter's explanation, she had heard enough from him. She got up and went to another seat and cried.  
  
All Sloan could picture in her mind was Tom and the look on his face. She wondered what could be happening to him now. It pained her to think of him in pain, being tortured by Walter's superior. They had been so happy earlier in the day, how did things go so wrong so quickly. And Ed. The guilt he had inside of him. She looked up, "Please don't let either of them die. Don't let them die alone with strangers, with people that don't care. Let them know that they're loved and forgiven." Sloan closed her tear filled eyes and went to asleep only to dream of the last time she saw Tom and Ed.  
  
~*~  
  
Five years later.  
  
Surrounded by bubbles and warm water, Claire and Ed sat together in the large tub. A huge window allowed them to see the full moon and the clear sky. They could see the reflection of the stars and the moon as they danced on the ocean waves. Claire sat in between Ed's legs and they both enjoyed ice cold drinks as he told her a story.  
  
"So, what happened next?" Claire asked enthusiastically.  
  
"Well, these men rushed in injected me in the neck with some deadly poison. I was pushed to the floor and all I could do was watch as they took Tom away." Ed felt Claire squeeze his arm. He smiled and then continued, "I couldn't move, it was like I was paralyzed. It all must have happened within a matter of seconds."  
  
"Tom didn't sense them?"  
  
"No, I guess it had to do with the gene therapy. He was reverting back to the 1.6% differential and that may have had an effect on his abilities. I felt so guilty afterwards. If I had gone with my first instincts none of that would have happened." Ed took a drink of his beer, "I don't remember much after that. Sloan came upstairs. She told me later that Mark and Shane came in and helped take me down to the car."  
  
"I can't believe Walter's superior would do that," Claire thought about that for a moment and retorted, "Never mind that last comment, I can believe it." Claire partly shifted position, "So, what happened to you, I mean with the drug?"  
  
"I was taken to some airport and put on a plane with Mark and some doctor and we took off. Sloan and Walter were on the other plane. When we reached our destination, I was taken to a safe house. The effects of the drug wore off completely a couple of days later. I was very weak and sick for about five days. I had nearly overdosed on a sedative that was meant to put an elephant down."  
  
Claire smiled, "They presumed Tom was a dominant and gave you the same dosage. Where did you end up?" Claire asked.  
  
"Believe it or not we ended up in Tahiti. I think we stopped on one of the Hawaiian Islands before to refuel and for some medication, but I was unconscious for the entire trip. Then we flew to New Zealand and stayed there for a few days. And then on to Australia."  
  
"Australia?"  
  
"'Survivor Outback' has nothing on me. They had a fence protecting them from nature, we didn't. I was like Crocodile Dundee out there."  
  
"Where did you stay?"  
  
"We first went to the township of Adelaide River population 159." Ed said trying his best to speak with an Australian ascent.  
  
"Now that's what I call a small town. Was it smart to go there being so small? People spot outsiders real quick I would think."  
  
"Well, it's in the Northern Territory, so we just acted like tourists. I was still trying to get my strength back and it was a very quiet place. But hey, I can survive in the wild now and later those skills would come in handy, but that's another story. We camped out a few times just to blend in with the other tourists who did the same. I even got to surf later on. We had gone to stay in Brisbane, way boss." Ed gave Claire the Hawaiian Shaka sign by making a fist then sticking out his pinky and thumb as he turned his hand from side to side in a 180 degree motion. He ended with the back of his hand facing Claire.  
  
Claire laughed, "Ed, you're too funny. Here you are running for your life and you're surfing."  
  
"Hey, I have my priorities. You can't really believe that I would go to Australia and not surf? Of course, I went against doctor's orders." Ed said as he pulled Claire in close. "Mark came along to keep an eye on me. We were still wanted although not publicly known. At this time we knew that both the humans and dominants wanted us, so we had to be careful. But I went surfing anyway."  
  
Claire slowly turned towards Ed, "That wasn't smart. So, what happened after that? When did Sloan and Walter meet up with you again?"  
  
"Not until I got back to the US." Ed became serious all of a sudden.  
  
Claire sensed it. "I'm sorry, Ed. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."  
  
"No, it's okay. All that time we were running and going from country to country, city to city, we wouldn't get word of how they were doing or where they were. I found out that they never sent word on how I was doing. I guess it was supposed to be like that, just in case if either of us got caught we wouldn't have any idea where the others were or what their condition was."  
  
"Walter told me about finding out that you were slightly claustrophobic. How did he know if you were separated the whole time?" Claire asked.  
  
"Oh, when I came back to the states we were still being hunted. We met up in Northern California and had to hide in the back of this truck. There was a small compartment up towards the front of it, but air conditioned. It was constructed to hide us. That's when I freaked out.sort of. But that's at the end of the story. I'm jumping ahead here," Ed said as he took another sip of his drink.  
  
"So after Australia, you ended up in Europe?" Claire asked.  
  
"Yeah, you know I wish I had those stickers that people put on campers. I could have covered the whole thing with as many cities and towns I went to. Although I didn't get any sight seeing done. We were shipped around to co- existence fraction safe houses all over. I spent most of my time in trucks, boats, planes and trains."  
  
"You were like a gypsy." Claire rubbed Ed's leg.  
  
"Tell me about it. It was a long two months." Ed leaned his head back. He hadn't given his adventure much thought in the past five years. He was surprised that he remembered any of it.  
  
"What about Ray?"  
  
"Ray moved around in the states. He didn't want to run around the world hiding with a family. The co-existence has safe houses here too. They thought it best to keep us all separated as much as possible."  
  
"What about Tom?"  
  
Ed let out a sigh, "He was submitted to tests the whole time. He was kept in a facility. I image it was close to the one that Darien was at. They ran tests and experimented on him. Walter was finally able to get a hold of someone at the U.N. who was sympathetic and threatened to release the conspiracy to the news and who was really behind the killings and my disappearance. Apparently the media was reporting that we had disappeared and that the dominants were behind it. I was presumed dead."  
  
"That's terrible. She tried to make you a martyr of some kind." Claire was disgusted.  
  
"Yeah, it really was hard on my parents and my grandmother. For two months to them I was missing and possibly dead. When I came back and contacted them, they wanted to sue the daylights out of somebody for putting them through all that." Ed picked up the sponge and squeezed the warm water over Claire's body.  
  
"Did they?" Claire rested her head on Ed's chest.  
  
"No, they were compensated for the mental anguish they went through. All I got was, 'Gee, Dr. Tate, we're sorry'." Ed said sarcastically in a low voice.  
  
"Is that all?" Claire asked.  
  
"Sort of, we were given our jobs back at Whitney University. What really boils my blood is that Walter's superior acted like nothing happened. I don't know why, but I'd say she was up to something and needed us back."  
  
"Maybe it was the serum," Claire turned to sit side ways.  
  
"Yeah, maybe, but that was five years ago. I might have perfected the serum, but I'm not completely sure yet," Ed paused, "I won't be testing it anyone. I'm not going to make that mistake again. I only want to use it just to help Darien if and when he decides to return to human status and of course Darcy. But I don't see them wanting to convert back to human DNA anytime soon."  
  
Claire ran her hand along the curves of Ed's bare chest, "How did you end up still working for her after all she did?"  
  
"Well, I guess it's all politics and trying to cover things up. Nothing new with the government," Ed ran a finger down Claire's arm. "I still don't trust her, never will."  
  
Claire reached her hand up and cupped Ed's face. He bent down and kissed her. Claire broke the kiss and shifted to straddle Ed, "Let's not talk about her."  
  
Ed smiled, "Yeah, sound's good to me." He leaned forward and kissed Claire again, this time more passionately.  
  
TBC.. 


	2. Chapter 2

This Chapter is a strong R rating for adult situations.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Darien woke up when a familiar scent filled his nostrils. Darcy had her back to him and she was spooned up tight against his body. Darien rolled his eyes, "This part I hate," he thought about what he said, "or not."  
  
He brushed her blonde hair back from her neck and placed soft kisses on the bare skin. Darcy stirred a bit. His hand reached around towards her front and he cupped a breast as he moved from her neck to nuzzle her ear.  
  
Darcy slowly opened her eyes and groaned her delight. Her hand came up and felt for Darien's hair. She gently ran her hand through the unruly brown mane, "Hmmm.Darien."  
  
"You're ready, aren't you?" Darien said as he nipped her earlobe.  
  
"That's the beauty about being a dominant; I don't have to rely on the 'Rhythm Method'." Darcy said as she wiggled her back against Darien, feeling his own need growing.  
  
"Or use a calendar or a thermometer," Darien whispered. This was one of the things he had learned to control when he was around other women. Especially with Sloan and Claire, he always seemed to know what cycle they were in and when they were in their most fertile stage. Tom had taught him how to respond to only Darcy's needs. And right now, her need was apparent.  
  
At least they were at home and not at a meeting like the first time. This had happened shortly after Ed and the others had arrived at the Agency.  
  
There had been a meeting with some members of the co-existence faction and some government bureaucrats. The male dominants in the room had sensed Darcy's state and became a little edgy. Darien immediately sensed this and had to let the others now that Darcy was his. The room had an air of hostility until Darien sent a clear message reasserting his territory.  
  
The humans had no idea what was going on, but sensed the tension in the air. Mark Ward had reassured them that everything was fine. The male dominants realized that Darcy was spoken for and quickly backed down.  
  
Later on, Darien, Mark and Tom talked about what had happened. Darien had learned that when a dominant male comes in contact with a dominant female who is in her cycle, the male will start to 'flirt' with her. When there are several males around and they don't know if she is spoken for they will compete for her attention. Darien thought it wasn't all that different from the human world apart from being able to sense when the woman is 'ready' to procreate.  
  
Tom had reassured Darien that the other males won't bother Darcy now that they know that Darien and her are together. Just like with him and Sloan, no male would dare come near her. Tom had forgiven Darien for that and helped him to understand his new instincts. Tom hoped that he would do a better job with Darien then what he did with little Kevin. He had only managed to confuse that little boy some more and it cost the life of a human. Kevin had also gone after Sloan and Tom had saved her just in time. He didn't want to repeat that same mistake with Darien.  
  
Darcy's moans of pleasure quickly turned to giggles and that snapped Darien out of his visit down memory lane. Sometime during his reminiscing, the quicksilver had flowed and covered them both.  
  
"Damn, this really is annoying," Darien complained.  
  
"I think it's rather mysterious and somewhat kinky. Almost like being blindfolded," Darcy remarked.  
  
~*~  
  
"There is no other place that man would want to be than on his board surfing until the sun sets," Claire shook her head and watched from the porch as Ed surfed.  
  
He had finally been given a clean bill of health from his doctor. Claire had been with him that day and the sheer joy that lit up his face. He had hopped off the exam table, shook the doctor's hand and bolted from the room. Claire was left standing alone with the confused physician.  
  
"He's been waiting to go surfing," Claire answered the silent question and thanked the doctor for his time.  
  
By the time Claire had left the examination room, Ed had already checked out at the insurance desk and was nearly out the door. If Ed had his 'baggies' on he would have stripped on his way to the van, Claire laughed at the thought of him struggling to pull his pants down as he ran across the parking lot. 'Ed must be foaming at the mouth right about now,' she thought to herself as he rolled down the window and poked his head through the opening.  
  
"Come on, Claire, I haven't got all day!" Ed said with excitement in his voice. Ed held the door open for Claire and was practically dancing in his pants as if he had to make an urgent dash for the bathroom.  
  
Claire got in the passenger side and looked at Ed with caution, "Tell me you're not going to speed home?"  
  
"I want to surf, Claire, not get us killed," Ed said with a smile and started up his van.  
  
That was thirty minutes ago and here she was watching him. It had been over a month since he last hit the waves. Getting shot had put that on hold for a while, until this morning. "Better to let him get it out of his system or he'll pout and nothing is worse than a man when he pouts," Claire said to herself as she took a drink of her ice tea.  
  
"Hey Claire!"  
  
Claire jumped and looked around to see where the voice came from. She saw Darien and Darcy. Claire smiled, "Hi, guys!"  
  
Darien and Darcy joined Claire on the porch. "I see the beach boy is at it finally," Darien smirked.  
  
"Yeah, he got the all clear today. He's been out there ever since we got home," Claire smiled.  
  
Darcy shook her head and laughed, "We just wanted to stop by and see if you two wanted to join us for lunch, but," Darcy looked out at the ocean and the figure riding the wave, "Ed seems a little pre-occupied right now."  
  
"Well, surfer dude can't stay out there all day long," Darien said as he watched Ed as well.  
  
"You want to bet on that, Darien?" Claire said mockingly.  
  
Darien and Darcy exchanged quick glances and looked at Ed as he rode the top of a wave just as it started to curl. "Point made," Darien rescinded. "It looks like he's flying."  
  
"Well, you two are welcome to stay, I'm sure Ed will be done soon. Maybe I can convince him to shower and we can all go to lunch. But I'm going to warn you, he'll be hyper," Claire stated.  
  
"Okay, sure," Darien watched for a moment, "Has he wiped out yet?"  
  
"Yes he has," Claire said with a laugh.  
  
"Cool," Darien said.  
  
"Would you care for something to drink?" Claire asked.  
  
"A coke."  
  
Darcy hit Darien on his arm, "That stuff rots your kidneys; it's like drinking battery acid."  
  
Darien rolled his eyes, "Just my luck to fall in love with a dominant health food freak."  
  
"Darcy, you can come with me and see what we have. But I'm going to warn you, Ed is not exactly a health food freak either."  
  
Darcy laughed and went inside with Claire. Darien had watched a helicopter come closer. At first he thought it was only the Coast Guard or Beach Patrol on the look out for sharks. As it got closer, it seemed to hover over Ed.  
  
Darien slowly stood up and stared in shock at first. The net falling and knocking Ed off his board snapped him out of it.  
  
"ED!!!" Darien leaped over the wooden railing and ran for the ocean. Claire and Darcy ran out of the house to see Darien in full stride as he ran for the ocean. Claire didn't see Ed at all but noticed the helicopter that hovered over where he had been surfing.  
  
"Oh no," Claire said in shock, her thought was that Ed had been attacked by a shark. She and Darcy ran onto the beach behind Darien who was already in the water and trying to fight against the waves to swim out.  
  
As Darien reached the top of a wave he could see Ed as he thrashed in the water trying to escape, but only to be swallowed up by another wave, "ED!!"  
  
Ed tried to get away, but he swallowed and inhaled more and more sea water as each wave came over him. It tossed him underwater and he became more entangled in the net. He found it increasingly difficult to reach the top for air. He felt consciousness start to slip away and all he could think about was Claire.  
  
Darien tried hard to reach Ed. He could see Ed's movements lessening, "I can't let him die."  
  
Ed suddenly felt himself being lifted out of the water, 'So, this is what it feels like when you die,' he thought to himself. Ed felt pressure on his right ankle; his foot still hung outside the net. He opened his eyes and saw the underside of a helicopter; the blades seemed to move in slow motion as he was lifted higher.  
  
A burning sensation erupted in Ed's lungs and he coughed up a generous amount of sea water. Air tried to rush back in, but water wanted to escape. Ed gasped for air upside down. He grabbed the net and realized that he didn't die and the pressure on his ankle was because he was still attached to the board's leash.  
  
Claire saw something dangling from the helicopter, "What the hell?" she said. She could see someone at the controls of what looked like a pulley system.  
  
"Is that a rescue helicopter?" Darcy asked.  
  
"I don't know," as soon as Claire spoke a net was lifted out of the water with something or someone inside of it. Next to it, she saw the surf board hanging from the net.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Darcy yelled.  
  
"It's Ed, they got Ed!" Claire heard herself scream.  
  
Claire watched helplessly as the net was brought closer to the helicopter. Another person reached out and grabbed the leash that was connected to the board. It was cut free and Claire stared as it fell to the water. The helicopter flew off with Ed inside.  
  
"ED!!"  
  
"Claire?"  
  
"ED!"  
  
"Claire!"  
  
"ED!!"  
  
"Wake up, Claire! You're dreaming," Ed gently shook Claire. He didn't want to frighten her too much.  
  
Claire sat up in bed, panting. She turned to Ed and felt his face, "You weren't kidnapped?"  
  
"Kidnapped? No, you were dreaming. I woke up because you were shouting my name," he held her close and let her calm down for a bit, "You want to tell me about it?"  
  
"You're going to think I'm crazy," Claire was blushing but because it was dark, Ed wouldn't have seen it.  
  
"If you're too embarrassed then you don't have to tell me," Ed reassured her by rubbing his hand up and down her back. "Why don't you just go back to sleep, maybe you'll feel better in the morning and you can tell me then? Or with my luck, you'll forget it."  
  
"Okay, just hold me," Claire sounded unusually nervous.  
  
Ed leaned back on the bed and Claire rested her head on his chest. As long as she could hear his heart beat and feel the warmth of his skin, she would be fine, until he went out on his surf board. Watching Ed on his surf board will never be the same again.  
  
This business with Arnaud calling Ed has really gotten to her. She didn't like the situation at all and now it was affecting her sleeping patterns. She heard Ed start to snore and smiled. She never knew that sound could be so comforting.  
  
~*~  
  
Morning came and Ed found Claire on the porch watching the surf. He handed her a cup of coffee and stared off at the ocean.  
  
"Are you going to tell me what you dreamt last night?" Ed asked. Claire turned and looked into his deep brown eyes. He had the same poor lost puppy look in his eyes that Darien always used to manipulate her.  
  
"Dahrien.oh," embarrassed she looked down at her feet.  
  
Ed chuckled, "It's cool, I'm sure it's going to happen a lot." After a moment, Ed continued, "Just don't go shoutin' his name while we're.you know."  
  
Claire smiled, "Of course not." Claire rested her head on his chest and let out a sigh, "You're going to be persistent about this dream aren't you?"  
  
"You bet," Ed lifted her head so he could see into her eyes, "I know it was about me from the way you were saying my name. What was it about?"  
  
"You were surfing and a helicopter came and dropped a net on you. The next thing I know you were lifted out of the water and pulled inside. Then the helicopter flew off," Claire said, "It seemed so real, Ed."  
  
Ed pursed his lips together, "Well, I'll be sure to stay away from helicopters."  
  
"I knew you would think it was silly, but with Arnaud calling you," Claire paused to look at Ed seriously, "He'll do anything, Ed. I've seen it. I'm afraid something is going to happen and no one will be able to help you."  
  
Ed didn't know what to say to comfort her. Some how telling her that it was just a dream wouldn't be enough, it really had her nervous. He hugged her and rested his chin on top of her head. The two stayed like that for a few minutes, neither said a word.  
  
~*~  
  
Darcy nipped at Darien's ear. This was her way of waking him up in the morning. "Hey sleepy head, time to wake up."  
  
A grunt was her response. She smiled. She rolled him over and nipped at his collar bone, not enough to break the skin but enough to leave a slight mark.  
  
"Hey, watch it, what are you a vampire?" Darien said as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Vampires bite here on the neck," Darcy illustrated her point.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'm waking up. Are most dominant women this dominant?"  
  
"Hmm.yes," Darcy laid her head on Darien's chest and began to trace the outline of his well defined chest. "Darien?"  
  
"Yeeesss," Darien sang.  
  
"Don't you dare read my mind," Darcy scoffed.  
  
"I won't I promise, ask away."  
  
"I want you to be joined to me," Darcy looked up into Darien's quizzical expression.  
  
"Is that a proposal cause if it is, aren't I supposed to *ask* you? Because it sounded more like you were telling me to marry you."  
  
"I was," Darcy propped herself up on her elbow, "Dominant females are the ones who choose a mate and we're the ones who, well, ask."  
  
"Tom didn't tell me this part," Darien said. "Okay, let me see if I understand this dominant life style. I have to go through this whole ruffling the plumage thing, dancing and showing off what I've got to offer like some peacock. After say I don't know, a few weeks of hard work, you decide if I'm the rooster you want in the hen house?"  
  
Darcy smiled at Darien's example, "Yes, that's right."  
  
"And when you make that decision, you *tell* me to be joined to you." Darien finished with a smirk.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Women are the doms of the species aren't they?" Darien smiled, "I can go along with that.I think."  
  
"Only when it comes to mating and stuff like that, everything else is up to the male." Darcy looked at Darien, "Well, will you be joined to me?"  
  
"Okay, what does joining mean? Is it like a wedding?"  
  
"Well, sort of, but not with all outrageous stuff that goes with it. Humans waste so much time, money and energy into something that should be very simple and meaningful."  
  
"You.we.were human, you don't want a big wedding?" Darien asked as he pointed to her and then to himself.  
  
"No, I don't. The important thing is not the dress or the food or how much more we spend than the next the person. What's important is the fact that we're committing ourselves to each other for life. People spend thousands on weddings and the party afterwards, then after a year or so, some divorce. Why spend all that money when you can go on a killer honeymoon?"  
  
"Whoa.now that's deep, I guess you're right. People put so much into the Reception and dresses that they forget the real reason of what they're doing." Darien said as he stared up at the ceiling.  
  
"Exactly." Darcy answered.  
  
Darien turned to face her, "Okay, so, do like dominants have a Priest or Rabbi for this sort of thing?"  
  
"No, only a Chosen One can join two dominants."  
  
"Okay, now you've opened up a whole new discussion."  
  
Darcy hit her head on the pillow, "Hasn't Tom told you anything?"  
  
"Ahh.no.just how to control my dark side, oh.and the whole pheromone sex thing.and except what you just told me."  
  
"Oiy vey! Well, Tom is a Chosen One. They're dominants that were hand picked to lead our people." Darcy said.  
  
"How does Tom know he's a Chosen One?"  
  
"He has a tattoo."  
  
"On the back of his neck," Darien joked.  
  
Darcy laughed, "You watch too much BBC America. You're close though, it's on his back just below his right shoulder."  
  
"Just when you think you know a guy." Darien took Darcy's hand, "And yes, I want to be joined, committed, married.whatever you want to call it."  
  
Darcy straddled Darien and leaned down to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his body. The scent on her was still very strong.  
  
Darcy reached behind her and took him into her hand. Darien growled and his head dug into the pillow when he arched his neck. Darcy smiled as she continued to move her hand up and down slowly. Darien sucked in air through his teeth. Darcy's fingers on the downward motion would gently stroke his veggies and on the upward motion her thumb would glide torturously over the tip.  
  
He rolled them both over until he was on top of her. With one thrust he was inside her.  
  
~*~  
  
For the two weeks after Arnaud had called Ed the first time, he and Claire had worked on models that dealt with Arnaud's cure. It had been too good to be true that Arnaud's cure would come without a price. The first sign was Darien's eyesight. At first Claire didn't make the connection but after he had said that he couldn't see the sign before they saved the crop, she ran some tests.  
  
Indeed Darien's eyesight had started to deteriorate, but slowly. Claire had told Darien that she didn't know how long it would take before he was blind. Darien seemed to take it in stride, but she knew better.  
  
Darien was angry again, one curse had been traded for another. Deep down inside he knew it was another death sentence. What good is an invisible blind man?  
  
All that changed when a man from the new species mistook Darien for Dr. Ed Tate, a geneticist, and injected him with a gene therapy drug that altered his DNA. His eyesight had improved greatly, even better than the average 20/20. Darien was slowly accepting his new role in life, especially since his eyesight was no longer an issue, but what else did Arnaud's little cure have in store for him had he not been converted. That was a question that Ed and Claire sought out and they found it.  
  
As they all sat around the table in the Official's office, Ed and Claire walked them through their findings.  
  
"As far as we can tell, Arnaud's cure did have an effect on the gland. This is our theory. The gland originally secreted a toxin into Darien's blood stream. We believe that the cure caused another mutation in the gland to secret a different kind of toxin." Claire looked at Darien who had his head in his hands. "This toxin may have been affecting parts of the brain, first with the occipital lobe."  
  
Darien raised his head, "First? What do you mean 'first'?"  
  
Claire looked at Ed and he shook his head for her to continue, "Darien, we." Claire looked at Darien, ".believe that over a period of time other parts of your brain and body may have been affected."  
  
"Like what?" Darien stared at Claire and then at Ed.  
  
"Motor pathways, auditory pathways and possibly somatosensory pathways." Ed added.  
  
"Samoa pathfinder?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"Somatosensory. That is your sense of touch, pain and temperature. It also includes receptors in muscles and joints." Ed looked around, he saw the blank faces and sighed, "It's a series of nerves that sends the signals to your brain. It's all connected in the spinal cord." Ed noticed that Darien was lost, "Okay look, when proprioceptive, touch, or vibratory sensation is detected by the appropriate sensory receptors, the input travels along the afferent fibers that enter the dorsal horn of the spinal cord." Ed continued as he used a model of the spinal cord and brain to illustrate what he was saying.  
  
"Okay, I still don't understand anything you just said, but it doesn't sound good." Darien said.  
  
"You know, I still can't get used to looking at him and hearing all this smart talk." Hobbes said sarcastically.  
  
Darien shot Hobbes a fierce look.  
  
"I'm just saying," Hobbes extended his hand palm side up towards Ed.  
  
"I know what you're saying," Darien said back angrily. "You can't believe that someone could look like me and be king of the smarty pants."  
  
"I thought I was the king of the smarty pants?" Hobbes protested.  
  
"Not anymore, my friend. There's a new king in town." Darien smirked.  
  
"Can you two wait until school is over?" The Official barked. "So, Dr. Tate, what does all this mean and give me the Reader's Digest version."  
  
"Well," Ed looked at Claire and back to the Official, "From our tests and we will have to do more, it looks like Arnaud's cure was meant to disintegrate Darien's senses and even at some point." Ed looked at Darien, ".cause paralysis."  
  
"Aw crap," Darien leaned back in his chair.  
  
"But," Sloan added trying to change the mood. She looked at Ed prodding him to continue.  
  
"Huh.oh yeah," Ed looked for his research, "But, it seems like the gene therapy that Lewis gave Darien to convert his DNA altered the toxin producing cells."  
  
"I can't wait to hear this," Darien said.  
  
"No, no, Darien this is good, uhmm, actually. The gland may have been altered when your DNA was changed. The genome therapy may have acted like a cure and stopped the cells from producing the new toxin." Ed said.  
  
"Do you know how?" Sloan asked.  
  
"No not yet. But there are several things to consider. Dominants are extremely healthy and have a higher capacity to heal. The brain signals are also on a different level now or the conversion altered the bio part in some way that I haven't detected yet. It may have acted much like the first cure and killed the new toxin producing cells or they're just dormant." Ed said.  
  
"Okay, so, does that mean I'm out of danger?" Darien asked.  
  
"Yes, for now anyway," Claire stated.  
  
"I don't like the sound of that," Darien said.  
  
"Ed and I ran a lot of tests and we don't see any long term effects with your new DNA on the gland. We just want to monitor you closely that's all. All of this only becomes a factor when and if you decide to convert back to human DNA. The dormant cells may awaken and start producing the toxin again." Claire added.  
  
"At this rate, it looks like I'm a permanent member of the dominant club," Darien affirmed.  
  
TBC.. 


	3. Chapter

This chapter contains some adult content.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Ed sat in the lab as he worked on some more tests when his phone rang. "Never fails, always when I'm in the middle of something important," he got up and sat down at his desk. He picked up the phone, "Dr. Tate."   
  
"Bonjour," Arnaud said.  
  
Ed leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk, "I thought you were Swiss German? I haven't heard from you in the last couple of days, I really missed hearing your voice. I started to think that you fell off the face of the earth, too bad you didn't."  
  
"Very comedic, but lets withhold the pleasantries shall we?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," Ed snapped back.  
  
"Have you thought about our last conversation?"  
  
"Yes, I did and the answer is still no. I ran some tests on your cure, very clever. So, how'd you do it?" Ed asked as he sipped on some coffee.  
  
Arnaud laughed, "Come now, you really think I would divulge all my secrets? How would I hold any leverage on my enemies?"  
  
"I figured such." Ed thought for a moment and then asked, "Alright then, I guess I have no choice. Where do you want to meet?"  
  
"I see you are curious, very well, I'll be in touch with you again. Oh and tell the good doctor I said 'Hi'. I'm glad you two are hitting it off so well."   
  
Ed heard Arnaud hang up and he lightly tapped his forehead with the phone before placing it on the receiver. Ed stared off into space, 'How did he know about me and Claire?' He was brought back to reality when the double doors opened.  
  
Ray rushed in, "We couldn't trace the call, seems like he was using some transmitter that bounced his signal all over the world."  
  
"I'm not surprised. I guess the only thing I can do is to meet with him since I can't seem to get anything out of him on the phone."  
  
Hobbes walked in, "Ah, negative, bad idea."  
  
"You have any other ideas?" Ed asked.  
  
Darien walked in, "It's the only way we're going to know what he's up to."  
  
Ed looked at the door waiting for the next person to stroll in, "Do you all practice this? Cause you come in the conversation at the right moment."  
  
Tom walked in, "Considering that he wants you to work with him, I doubt he will hurt you."  
  
Ed looked at the door, "I bet Sloan walks through next."  
  
"Are you crazy, he's a killer!?!" The female voice exclaimed.  
  
Ed rolled his eyes, "Okay, I lost. Hi, Claire." Ed waved to her.  
  
"We don't have the funds for man power of this magnitude to keep surveillance on Dr. Tate during his meeting with Arnaud de Fehrn." Eberts said as he walked in to join the others.  
  
"I thought it was de Fohn? How many names does this guy have?" Ed asked. He smiled at Eberts, "Hey, Eberts, nice to see you," he leaned back again in his chair and put his hands on the back of his head to watch.  
  
"What man power? I'm all the man power you need," Darien declared to Eberts.  
  
"You better make sure you know what you're doing?" Sloan said as she came in.  
  
Ed slapped his leg, "Where were you thirty seconds ago? I would've won the bet."  
  
"Hobbes, show Dr. Tate how he's going to be wired for his meeting." The Official said looking at Hobbes as he walked in.  
  
Ed just looked back and forth. A few minutes ago, all was quiet and now, the lab was full of agency personnel all discussing Ed's meeting with Arnaud without him participating. He watched with fascination as everyone gave their opinions.  
  
Hobbes and the Official were engaged in their own conversation while, Tom, Sloan, Claire, and Ray had their own group meeting. Darien and Eberts were talking about man power and who would be best for the surveillance on Ed.   
  
"This is absolutely amazing," Ed said softly to himself, "This would make an interesting thesis on human and dominant behavior in a group setting for co-existence." Ed got up and poured himself another cup of coffee, went back to his desk and sat down. "The only person missing is Walter." Ed saw the doors open slightly and a bearded, spectacled face peered inside.  
  
Ed laughed as he shook his head, "Hey, Walter, join the party."  
  
"Ed," Walter looked at everyone as he walked towards Ed, "What is going here?"  
  
"Something extraordinary," Ed chuckled as he took a sip of coffee.  
  
Walter listened for a moment and got the gist of the conversations, "I take it Arnaud called you again?"  
  
"You got it." Ed smiled.  
  
"Hmm...wonder how long they'll keep it up?" Walter asked.  
  
"I don't know," Ed said as he leaned back in his chair again.   
  
"Actually, I stopped by to tell you something."  
  
Ed leaned forward and turned his chair around to face Walter who was now sitting on the corner of Ed's desk, "What is it?"  
  
"I'm sending you away for about three months," Walter handed Ed a plane ticket and the information on who he will be working with.  
  
"Three months!?! What did I do?" Ed said as he looked at the plane ticket. "Atlanta!"  
  
Walter smiled, "No, Ed, nothing you did wrong. You'll be working along side some of the top scientists in the field of, Immunology, Molecular Genetics and Molecular Evolution, Neurophysiology and Neurobiology."  
  
"In three months I'm supposed to study all this? Walter, I've got so much do to here, can it wait?" Ed pleaded.  
  
"No, this could help in your research," Walter looked at him through the top of his glasses and sat up from the desk, "You leave in two days."  
  
Ed stood up, "Two days!?! Isn't that a little soon?"  
  
Claire stopped and turned to face Walter and Ed. She heard Ed raise his voice.  
  
"I had to pull strings, but I got you in. Sorry, Ed," Walter looked at Claire and then back at Ed, "Please be on that plane."  
  
Claire came up to Ed with a quizzical look on her face, "What was that all about?"  
  
Everyone in the room stopped talking and listened to Ed. Ed looked around, "All's quiet at the Agency." He turned his gaze back to Claire, "Walter is sending me to Atlanta for three months. He said it'll help in my research," Ed studied the sullen look on Claire's face. He cupped her face in his hands, "As much as I hate to go, it really would help."  
  
"But three months?" Claire exclaimed.  
  
Darien and the others took their cue and left the office. Hobbes wanted to stick around, but Darien pushed him out of the room.  
  
"I know, it'll be hard on me too," Ed rolled his eyes, "Reeeeaaalll hard."  
  
Claire smiled, "Where are you going?"  
  
"Emory University in Atlanta," Ed said. "There's a research facility there," Ed handed her the information.  
  
"There are some highly trained scientists at that University, Ed. Probably considered the best in their fields. How did Walter pull this off so soon?"  
  
"He's a government bureaucrat, we know how they work," Ed said sarcastically.   
  
"That's true," Claire looked at Ed sadly, "But do you have to leave in two days?"  
  
Ed brushed the hair back from Claire's neck, "Sorry, hon. Walter is still my boss. I don't like it either." Ed pulled Claire in close. He touched her bottom lip softly with his thumb, "Let's stay in the next three nights."  
  
Claire smiled seductively, "And do what?"  
  
Ed moved his head from side to side like he was thinking real hard, "Oh I don't know, maybe some fun activities. I mean, I am going to be gone for three months."  
  
"But two nights isn't going to help you for the months ahead," Claire said as she dropped her hand to his groin.  
  
Ed smiled at her tender groping, "You know, you're right, I'll have to think of something...you think Walter will pay for an escort service?"  
  
Claire squeezed Ed and he squealed, "OWW, Claire! Easy there woman."  
  
"Woman?" Claire still had a hold on him.  
  
Ed slapped her hand as he tried to get away, "Okay, sorry, ma'am." He pulled her in close again and kissed her forehead.   
  
~*~  
  
"Mr. de Fohn, Dr. Tate leaves on Thursday for Emory University in Atlanta."  
  
"Very good, do you have his flight information?"  
  
"Of course, I set it up, his flight leaves at 8:55am and the airline is Delta flight number 228."  
  
"Splendid, this makes it much easier," Arnaud hung up his phone and looked at the man standing across from him, "Get things ready, we're going to have company."  
  
The man nodded and left the office. Arnaud folded his hands in front of him, "The Agency won't even know Dr. Tate is missing until it's too late."  
  
~*~  
  
Later in the evening, Ed and Claire lay in his bed. Claire, with her back towards Ed was snuggled up against his body with his arm over her. His other arm snaked under her head and his finger was gently rubbing up and down her arm.  
  
"What you thinking about?" Ed asked as he placed soft kisses on the top of her head, "Is it about the trip and how long I'll be gone?"  
  
"Well, if you must know, I'm rather worried about this meeting with Arnaud." Claire said. "I've dealt with him one too many times. I don't want to see you get hurt again."  
  
"Me too, but if we really want to know how his cure affected the gland, it's a chance I'm willing to take. I know the information I got from Stark's computer was false. Maybe, if I can..." Ed stopped when Claire rolled over to face him. He saw the uncertainty in her eyes.   
  
"Ed, you're a scientist not a secret agent. You don't know what Arnaud is capable of."  
  
"I do, Claire. He killed a scientist practically in front of me. Since the dominant situation began, I've felt like a secret agent. I know it's dangerous," Ed brushed Claire's cheek with his hand, "I think Arnaud's been watching us."  
  
Claire's head slightly lifted off the bed and her eyes grew wide with concern, "What?"  
  
"He said something to me today on the phone, about us. But aside from that, Claire, if I'm going to know how Arnaud's gene therapy worked, I need to see his notes and not just the ones on the laptop Darien took from him. I need to see if there is anything recent. At least to see how far he is with the new gland. If I can see it, study it, I might understand Darien's gland better."  
  
Claire pursed her lips together and then spoke, "He's smart, he'll know what you're up to."  
  
"That's a chance I'll have to take too. He wants me to fix the gland so he'll be able to turn it off and on like Darien can and so it won't rely on his adrenaline. I'll be able to get real close to it..." Ed stopped. He saw the look in Claire's eyes. "What's wrong?"  
  
"And when you do fix it, he'll kill you. Don't you understand? Once you've fixed the gland and it's in his head working fine, he'll kill you without hesitation." Claire thought for a moment, "Just like Kevin."  
  
Ed rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, he let out a big sigh, "Claire, I don't like it either, but it's something I have to do."  
  
"It doesn't mean I have to like it."  
  
Ed turned on his side again and propped his head up on his elbow, "I know. But think of what I could learn. I may even be able to figure out a way to remove it safely."  
  
"Ed," it was Claire's turn to let out a sigh, "I almost lost you, twice. I can't...I don't know..."  
  
Ed put his finger to Claire's lips, "Shhh...don't say it. I don't plan on going anywhere."  
  
"That's not your plan to make." Claire felt a tear fall down her cheek.  
  
Ed held her close to him, "Lets not talk about this now." He wiped the tear away, he slowly rolled her onto her back and he lay on top of her. His lips lightly touched hers.   
  
Claire ran her hands through his hair and she smiled, "Dr. Edward Tate, what do you think you're doing?"  
  
Ed bent down and kissed the space between her breasts, "Taking your mind off of things for awhile."  
  
"Is this a man's answer to everything, sex?"  
  
Ed stopped what he was doing and thought for a moment, "Uhmm...actually, yes. It's the cure for everything, well, almost everything."  
  
"Yeah, I thought so." Claire reached around Ed and pulled the covers over their bodies.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ed said smiling mischievously.  
  
"You did say Arnaud had been watching us. Don't want to give him a show do we?"  
  
"Ah...no."  
  
Claire let out a sigh, "Three months?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Claire, but this is something I've got to do. Let's not talk about this either," Ed said as he turned his attention back to exploring Claire's body.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed woke up to the sounds of Claire taking a shower. He frowned; normally she would wake him up before she got ready for work. "This Arnaud business is really getting to her," he sighed then rolled over and pulled his boxers on.   
  
He went down stairs and started a pot of coffee. Pavlov scampered up to him wagging his tail and started to lick at his ankles. Ed smiled and looked down at the ball of fur, "Guess you have business to take of, huh?"  
  
Pavlov barked in response.  
  
Ed grabbed the leash and bent down, "Okay, dude, I read ya loud and clear." Ed took him outside and walked him around a bit. Every now and then Ed would let go of the leash and let the tiny dog run around in the sand.  
  
Claire came down stairs and saw the back door opened. She stepped out onto the back porch and watched a grown man in boxers chase down a tiny dog. Claire giggled at the sight before her eyes.   
  
Pavlov suddenly stopped and spotted the familiar figure on the porch and took off running. Ed stared at Claire for a moment and started a slow gate of his own back up to the house.   
  
"I see that my boys got their morning exercise," Claire said holding Pavlov in her arms as Ed hopped on the porch.  
  
Ed came up to her and took her into his arms. Even with Pavlov between them, they managed a kiss. Ed held her close to his body and they swayed back and forth in a slow motion. They broke the kiss and stared at each other for a moment. Ed broke the silence, "Good morning, babe."  
  
"Good morning, hon." Claire answered back. "Coffee smells good this morning."  
  
"That's not the only thing that smells good," Ed took in her scent.   
  
"Hmmm...you like?" Claire asked as she put Pavlov down. The little dog ran back inside the house.  
  
"Oh yeah," Ed could hold her closer to his body and sniffed her neck, "I can even smell your scent on your pillows. This is a new one isn't it?"  
  
"I got it yesterday; it's called 'Sweet Pea'. It's a passion scent."  
  
"Well, you can tell 'Bed, Bath and Body Works' that it works." Ed pressed his body up against hers. Her eyes went wide when she felt something semi hard pressing up against her.  
  
"Ed Tate, you're insatiable!" She exclaimed.  
  
He looked around in thought, "Yeah, you might say that. What can I say, you drive me crazy." Ed bent down and kissed her again, this time a little more passionately. Ed broke away and ran his hand through her wet hair, "I wish we could play hooky today."  
  
"Why?" Claire asked in a suspicious tone.  
  
"I want to make to love you all day long."  
  
"All day?"  
  
"Well, with breaks in between of course." Ed smiled and with Claire still in his arms, they danced their way back into the house. They stopped when they reached the kitchen.   
  
Claire looked up into Ed's eyes, "I love you, Ed Tate."  
  
Ed hugged her tight, "I love you too, Claire Keeply." He released her and frowned, "As much as I would love to play hooky and be naked with you all day, I have a meeting to go to and it's not with Arnaud. I'll be offsite this morning."  
  
"That's right, you have that meeting with Walter at the CDC," Claire frowned, "And here I was going to take you up on that naked offer."  
  
Ed laughed, "Then we'll just have to do that later." Ed grabbed a cup of coffee and headed upstairs for a much needed shower. Visions of him and Claire naked all day long had aroused him even more. It wouldn't be good to go to a meeting with his superiors and have a slight problem with tightness in his pants. Normally it wouldn't have mattered with his usually loose fitting pants. But for today, Walter had asked him to wear something a little more formal, which meant a tie, jacket and tighter fitting slacks.  
  
While Ed got ready for work, Claire had prepared breakfast. She heard him trampling down the stairs and looked up. The sound was different and she knew that he was wearing his dress black shoes and not the hiking shoes he normally wears.  
  
"Must be one heck of a meeting if Walter is making you wear a suit," Claire commented when she saw him as he struggled with his blue and gold striped tie. His pants were navy blue with matching jacket that was hung over his arm and he wore a white long sleeved shirt, which accented his tanned skin.  
  
"Yeah," Ed struggled with the material as he talked, "It's some meeting with the CDC for a grant he wants real bad," he grunted and tried again, "I still don't understand why I have to be there. I did all the numbers and tests for him," Ed let out an exasperated sigh at another failed attempt at his tie, "and I don't understand why I have to wear this stupid thing!" Ed was completely frustrated now.  
  
Claire came to the rescue, "Here let me try," she took the material in her hands and lined it up, "Well, you are a geneticist and Walter does think very highly of you. Maybe he values your opinion and needs you for backup." Claire looked at her handy work, "There see, all done."  
  
Ed looked down and frowned, "You know, this is sad, I hold an M.D. a Ph.D. and I still can't make a decent tie."  
  
"It's not like you wear one everyday," Claire stepped back and whistled.  
  
Ed smiled and started to strike poses that you would see in a fashion catalog, "You like?"  
  
"Oh definitely, you look wonderful." Claire smiled back.  
  
"Yeah, well take a picture cause the last time I wore a tie was for my graduation when I received my doctorate. I didn't even wear a tie for Kelly's funeral, it stayed nice and snug in my pocket." Ed smiled.  
  
Claire chuckled, "You and Darien are more alike than I could ever imagine. It's like you two should have been twins."  
  
Ed grinned as he looked down at the floor, "We do have a lot in common don't we?"  
  
"Yes, you do."  
  
They hugged and then sat down to eat breakfast.  
  
~*~  
  
Walter and Ed walked out of the CDC building later on that afternoon. Walter patted Ed on the back, "Nice work in there, Ed. I don't think I would've been able to do that on my own."  
  
"Thanks, Walter." Ed smiled modestly.  
  
"How about if go get some lunch?" Walter asked.  
  
"I'd like to, Walter, but I really need to get back to the lab. I've got some work to catch up on since I was helping you with the grant application. Plus I want to get some stuff done before I leave for Atlanta. But I'll take a rain check on that lunch when I get back." Ed said as he got in the car.  
  
"You got it." Walter got in the car and they headed back to agency.   
  
A black Mercedes pulled out behind them and followed.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed sauntered into the Keep and looked around for Claire, "Claire? You in here?"  
  
"Over here, Darien."  
  
Ed smiled, "Ahh...nope, wrong person."  
  
Claire turned round quickly and saw Ed standing with his hands in his pockets. He had changed his clothes. She blushed as she looked down at the floor, "I'm sorry, uhmm...you sound like Darien too."  
  
Ed let out a sigh, "Weird isn't it? There's just no scientific explanation for this rare phenomena." Ed strolled towards her.  
  
Claire met him and he wrapped his arms around her and she did the same to him, "Maybe the planets were in a strange alignment and there was some temporal vortex that spliced through the space time continuum at the time that your mothers conceived the both of you creating a rare occurrence in nature."  
  
"Well, normally I would say I'm impressed with your Star Trek lingo and would seriously consider your theory, but I'm two years older," Ed swayed back and forth with Claire in his arms.  
  
"Oh, I forgot about that," Claire chuckled. "So, how did it go?"  
  
Ed looked up at the ceiling, "Well, we...got the grant."  
  
"That's great! See, I knew Walter needed you."  
  
"Well, I dazzled them with charm and my good looks," Ed held her close.  
  
"I'm sure you did." Claire checked her watch, "You hungry?"  
  
"I grabbed a burger on the way back. I'm heading back up to the lab and I just thought I'd drop in and let you know I'm back. I've got tons of stuff to do for Walter...again." Ed bent down and kissed her on her lips.  
  
They broke the kiss and Claire looked up at him, "Okay, have fun."  
  
"Yeah, loads." Ed walked backwards and put one hand in his pocket. With the other hand he waved and left the Keep.  
  
Ed no sooner walked in his office and poured himself a cup of coffee when his phone rang. "Geeshh...give a guy a break." He sat on his desk and picked up the phone, "Department of Genomics, Dr. Tate speaking," Ed said slightly annoyed as he answered his phone. Walter had told him and Sloan that he wanted them to sound more professional when they answered the phone. Ed hated it, but he did it anyway, just in case Walter checked up on them.  
  
"Meet me at the outdoor café in two hours. Please be on time, I hate to be kept waiting."  
  
Ed heard the click as Arnaud hung up. He looked at his phone and let out a sigh. "Here I go, scientist turned secret agent man."  
  
~*~  
  
Darien watched as Hobbes hooked up Ed for the meeting. He sensed the tension and he didn't even need dominant abilities either. Hobbes was obviously still upset over the sudden relationship between Claire and Ed.   
  
Hobbes eyed Ed carefully. Ed took off his shirt and waited for Hobbes to attach the tiny microphone. Darien sat back and watched with amusement. Hobbes picked up the wire and the tape. He cut off a piece of the tape, "Okay, doc, I'm gonna put this wire on you. Now remember what ever you do don't scratch."  
  
"Why? Will it come off if I do?" Ed asked as Hobbes attached the wire to his chest.  
  
"No, but we'll get an ear full of a very loud sound like nails going across a chalk board." Hobbes looked at his handy work and decided that he didn't like it. Very quickly he gripped one end of the tape.  
  
Ed looked down and before he could say anything.  
  
*RIP*  
  
Hobbes smiled as Ed doubled over gripping his chest. Not a single sound came out of Ed's mouth, just air that was forced out like when the wind gets knocked out.  
  
Darien rushed to Ed and he glared at Hobbes, "What was that for? And what tape did you use?"  
  
"The wire wasn't placed right. Hey, the Fat Man put me charge here and I'm going to do my job." Hobbes said in defense of himself. "Besides, bean pole here should eat more; I mean look at him, skinnier than you if that's possible."  
  
Darien glared at Hobbes and then rolled his eyes, "What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
Before Hobbes could open his mouth to answer, Darien stopped Hobbes with his hand.  
  
  
  
"Hobbes, I won't even let you say that out loud."  
  
  
  
Hobbes shrugged, "What?! It's true, ain't it?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah, but that's not the point."  
  
  
  
Ed looked from Hobbes to Darien in confusion, "What's true? What are you talking about?"  
  
  
  
Hobbes continued to place the device on Ed, "Ask Ms. Cleo over there."  
  
  
  
Darien shook his head, "Hey, you turned Dr. Phil on me before I turned into Ms. Cleo. Besides, what you said...."  
  
  
  
Hobbes held up his finger, "....going to say..."  
  
  
  
Darien nodded, "....going to say was embarrassing."  
  
  
  
Hobbes stopped fiddling with the wire and looked at Darien, "Embarrassing? Why? Because it's true or because you thought about it too?"  
  
  
  
Ed put his hand to his face in frustration, "WHAT ARE YOU BOTH TALKING ABOUT!"  
  
  
  
Darien and Hobbes cringed.  
  
  
  
"Geesh, no need to shatter our eardrums." Hobbes rubbed his ears.  
  
  
  
"So?" Ed stood waiting for a reply.  
  
  
  
"So?" Darien shrugged.  
  
  
  
"So?" Hobbes chimed in.  
  
  
  
Ed started to become angry, "So! What did you say?"  
  
  
  
"I didn't say anything!" Hobbes tried to look innocent and failed miserably.   
  
  
  
"THINK!! So what did you THINK!?!"  
  
  
  
Hobbes shrugged, "I THINK I won't say what I was going to say since he said I shouldn't say it."  
  
  
  
Ed looked at Darien for an answer. Darien shrugged, "Who am I to disclose a man's most inner thoughts...."  
  
  
  
Ed rolled his eyes. Darien continued, "....to another man who is so skinny that he has corners on his ass."  
  
  
  
"Shut up, Fawkes!"  
  
  
  
"Is that what he said....ah...thought?" Ed unconsciously put his hand on his butt to check to see if it was true. Ed's face turned into a scowl.  
  
  
  
"I don't know about you, Ed, but if another man was checkin' out my backside, I wouldn't want to know about it." Darien smirked.  
  
  
  
"But that was it?"  
  
  
  
"Actually, no..."  
  
  
  
"SHUT UP, FAWKES!" Hobbes yelled without facing Fawkes.  
  
  
  
"Darien, what did he...AAAAOOOOWWWWWW!!!!" Ed pulled away from Hobbes, "Hey!!! Watch it!!"  
  
  
  
"Whoops, sorry kid. I didn't realize how low I positioned it. Had to try again."  
  
  
  
Ed sneered at Hobbes.   
  
  
  
Darien immediately nodded as if he were in agreement with Ed. "That's exactly what I thought."  
  
  
  
Hobbes and Ed looked at Darien and replied in unison, "What?"  
  
  
  
Darien looked up, "Oh...ah...I was just answering Ed."  
  
  
  
Hobbes looked at Ed, "So what did you say?"  
  
  
  
"...thought...."  
  
  
  
"...thought....said with your mind...whatever...spill it!" Hobbes took a step closer to Ed.   
  
  
  
"I'll tell you after you finish hooking me up. You might accidentally pull off another strand of tape or something." Ed rubbed his chest.  
  
  
  
"No, he would shoot you if you told him." Darien smirked again.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, right." Ed brushed Darien off.  
  
  
  
Darien continued, "Hey, when it comes to Claire....."   
  
  
  
Hobbes and Ed interrupted Darien before he could finish, "FAWKES!!"  
  
  
  
"Will you knock it off." Hobbes pointed to Darien.  
  
  
  
"What?" Darien looked around innocently.  
  
Hobbes went back to placing the device on Ed. After a few silent, tense filled minutes, Ed was hooked up and ready to go.   
  
  
  
"Now grab your stuff and meet us in the parking lot. I gotta pick up some supplies." Hobbes motioned to Ed and quickly turned on his heel and left Darien and Ed alone.   
  
  
  
Ed walked over to Darien who was preoccupied with his hair, "So, do you think he would have shot me?"  
  
  
  
Darien looked up at Ed, "What, if you told Hobbes what you were thinking?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
  
  
"About Claire?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
  
  
"And that horse-shoe shaped tattoo on her ass?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah...."  
  
  
  
"Oh, hell yeah. Why did you think of that anyway?"  
  
  
  
"I wanted to make Hobbes jealous I guess. See how he felt being on the receiving end of envy."   
  
  
  
"He's already jealous, bro. There are other ways at getting back at Hobbes, but that would have been suicide." Once Darien was done messing with his hair, he looked at Ed, "Come on, we better get going. Hobbes doesn't like to wait."   
  
"Wait, you knew about the tattoo that Claire has? How?" Ed asked suspiciously.  
  
Darien put his arm around Ed, "It's a long story. Do you know why she chose a horse-shoe tattoo?"  
  
Ed smiled, "Yep, sure do."  
  
The two men walked out of the office, sharing secrets as they made their way down the hall.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed noticed a shadow that appeared over the table at the outdoor café. He looked up, "Normally I would say 'nice to see you', but I'm not."   
  
Arnaud sat down at the opposite end of the table and he smiled at Ed, "Glad you decided to meet with me."  
  
Ed leaned forward placing his arms on the table, "This isn't a social visit, Arnaud. You know what I want."  
  
"And you know what I want. Seems like we need to compromise," Arnaud leaned back and tapped the fingers of one hand on the table. He studied Ed for a moment then continued, "So, what does someone of your background do with the Department of Fish and Game?" Arnaud asked in a tone that showed distain for the agency.  
  
Ed smiled, "Actually, we're split in two groups. Our sponsor is the CDC, more specifically, the 'Offices of Genomics and Disease Prevention'."  
  
"How appropriate for you," Arnaud said in return.  
  
Ed looked around nervously. Working in the 'field' was not his thing, sitting in the lab as he looked over DNA samples was what he felt more comfortable doing. He looked back at the man that sat across from him, "What makes you think I'll help you?"  
  
"Because, you're a scientist and you can't resist solving puzzles. When you're close to finding the answer you can't stop, even if it means working all night. It's like a drug for you, an obsession." Arnaud tilted his head to one side and looked at Ed as if he could read his mind.  
  
"Yeah, I'll go along with that," Ed picked up his drink and took a sip. "Let me ask you something." Ed watched as Arnaud shook his head in agreement. "Can I trust you?"  
  
"Monsieur, you have to ask yourself. Do you have a choice? I need your help and you need mine." Arnaud smiled at Ed, "Can I trust you?"  
  
"Okay," Ed let out a sigh, "I guess we'll just have to go for it."  
  
Arnaud stood up, "Splendid, I'll be in touch with you again."  
  
Ed looked up at Arnaud, "I'm going out of town in tomorrow. I'll be gone for three months."  
  
"That's not a problem. I can wait."   
  
Ed watched as Arnaud walked away. He shook his head, "What am I getting myself into?"  
  
"Calvin to Dexter, Calvin to Dexter, come in Dexter."  
  
Ed nearly jumped out of his chair when he heard the familiar voice over his hidden ear piece. He looked around and said in a low voice, "Warn me the next time you're going to do that."  
  
"Sorry dude," Darien smiled as he looked down at the floor of the van. He needed to remember that Ed was not used to this sort of thing.   
  
"Do you think he knew?" Ed asked as he got up and walked away.  
  
"What, that you were wearing a wire, sure. That's why he didn't say much. Get on back to the van and you can follow us back to the Agency."   
  
"Gladly, this crazy secret agent stuff isn't for me. Now, give me something to do an autopsy on and I'm happy." Ed said softly as he got up to leave.  
  
"What was that?" Darien asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing."  
  
~*~  
  
Claire waited impatiently for Ed to return, she paced back and forth in front of the Official. He looked up at her and let out a grunt. She turned to look at him with nervousness written all over her face.  
  
"Doctor, isn't there something you should be doing in your lab?"  
  
"Sorry, I'm too nervous to work," Claire said as she scratched the back of her neck.  
  
"I'm sure he's fine, besides Fawkes and Hobbes are watching him," the Official stated.  
  
Claire shot him a glaring look and went back to her pacing. The Official thought about what he said, "Okay, so maybe I can understand why you're nervous, I should have sent Tom along with them."  
  
At that moment the door flew open and Darien, Hobbes and Ed stormed in hot on each other's heals. The three of them headed for the Official's desk. Claire let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Chief, tell the doc here that he can't go with Arnaud. He's not qualified," Hobbes asserted. He put his hands on the desk to support him as he leaned down.  
  
"I'm not qualified? I'm the only that is, scientifically speaking anyway," Ed retorted as he glared down at Hobbes. "Arnaud wants me, he'll know the difference if Darien goes in place of me."  
  
"Sir, we can't let Ed go with Arnaud by himself," Hobbes said.  
  
"By himself!?! Are you crazy? That's ludicrous!" Claire yelled out to Ed.  
  
"It's the only way; Darien doesn't know the terminology or the medical protocols. Arnaud isn't an idiot, he'll know, plain and simple. I have to do this!" Ed raised his voice.  
  
Hobbes leaned up and stood toe to toe with Ed, "You're not trained for covert action."  
  
"What's the problem, Hobbes? What is so covert about doing what I do best?" Ed asked as he put his hands on his hips.  
  
"Oh, you think you're mister big shot now, working for the federal government, think you can do undercover work?" Hobbes put his finger to Ed's chest.  
  
Ed sneered, "I can hold my own just fine. Who do you think can pull this off?"  
  
Eberts and the Official both raised their brows. Eberts bent down, "Should I call in some agents, sir?"  
  
"No, no, Eberts, let them fight it out," the Official leaned back in his chair to watch.  
  
Claire stood with her mouth gaping open. Darien rolled his eyes, "Great, here we go again."  
  
"You know I'm the only one that can do this." Ed said.  
  
Hobbes glared at Ed, "You think years of working on this dominant thing makes you qualified for field work? I worked long and hard to get my experience, I fought in a war. What have you done besides your experiments?"  
  
Eberts bent down towards the Official, "This is better than the soap opera, sir."  
  
"And it's live," the Official commented.  
  
"I was kidnapped, taken to Alaska, escaped, on the run for two months, lived in the outback, survived a night in the forest being chased by Lewis, survived countless other life and death situations before I even met you people. A war, you wanna talk about a war? I've lived a war for five years, Agent Hobbes and not an enemy that you can see so easily. My life has been marked ever since Sloan knocked on my door at three in the morning. I understand and know more than you think. I didn't ask for this, I could have quit the lab and gone somewhere else, but I didn't, I stayed because it's important enough for me to stay and fight. And no one is going to tell me what I can and can not do." Ed turned to the Official, "I'll be gone for three months, and Arnaud knows that. In the mean time, you can figure out a way to keep me safe with your little toys if that will help you sleep better." Ed turned on his heels and left in a huff.  
  
Darien stared up at the ceiling. Claire followed Ed. Hobbes stood in the same spot and didn't move. Eberts stared out the window with his hands folded in front of him.  
  
"Well, I guess it's settled, Dr. Tate will be going undercover when he gets back." The Official remarked.  
  
Hobbes turned and glared and the Official, "It's a mistake, he's not trained."  
  
"Hobbes, I don't like it either, in fact, I wish I was going in so I could kill Arnaud. But Ed's right. We need to trust him on this." Darien said.  
  
Hobbes walked up to Darien, "Mark my words, my friend. This will end badly." He left the office.  
  
Darien looked at the Official and Eberts. He gave them both a nod and walked out.  
  
Claire chased Ed down the hall, "Ed!"  
  
Ed stopped and waited for Claire to catch up, "I'm sorry, Claire. But I'm tired of being treated like some kid around here. I had enough of that back at the lab at the University. Arnaud will call me again and I will help him."  
  
"I just don't know if this is the right thing to do." Claire stated. She was worried about Ed's safety. Now she understood why there was no fishing off the company pier. You get attached and it can cloud your judgment.   
  
"I have no choice, Claire."  
  
"You could have said 'no'."  
  
"And then what? Not know what he did to the gland? I can't do that." Ed gripped her shoulders, "What would you do, Claire? What if you had a chance to get close to the gland, to see it before it goes in someone's head? I have that opportunity and I have to take it. If I'm going to help Darien, I've got to do this."  
  
"You could get killed."  
  
Ed looked down at the floor, "Then I guess I'll just have to take a leap of faith."  
  
Claire looked at him oddly.  
  
"And you will too."  
  
"But my dream," Claire looked at him with concern. She was afraid for him.  
  
Ed cupped both sides of her face in his hands, "Hon, it was only a dream."  
  
"To you maybe, but not to me," Claire sighed.  
  
He pulled her in close, "Come here," he held her against his body. Her head rested on his chest, while his chin rested on top of her head. "Is my butt bony to you?"  
  
Claire looked up at Ed in surprise. That was not something she was expecting him to ask or say at the moment. "Ahh...no, in fact you have the cutest butt I've ever seen. So muscular and round," she reached around and kneaded his backside like she was making bread.   
  
"Okay, just checking." Ed smiled.  
  
"Hon, what brought that up?" Claire asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing." Ed walked down the hall with his arm around Claire.  
  
Darien chased Hobbes down the corridor. The scent of anger still in the air and Darien knew which way he was headed. He turned another corner and there was Hobbes angrily mumbling to himself.  
  
"Hey, Hobbes! Man, wait up." Darien watched Hobbes turn around slowly and he threw his head back in exasperation.  
  
"What do you want, Fawkes?"  
  
"To talk."  
  
"Nothin' to talk about, he loves her, she loves him, I'm out of the picture. End of story." Hobbes started to walk away.  
  
"No, it's not the end. You're like a walking time bomb here. Besides, I thought you had a handle it?"  
  
"I did too. Guess I don't. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got somewhere to go," Hobbes turned on his heels and started to walk away.  
  
Darien side stepped and hopped in front of Hobbes. He put his hands out, "No, we're going to talk."  
  
"I told you nothin' to talk about."  
  
"And I'm telling you, we're going to talk." Darien shot Hobbes a glare that spoke volumes.  
  
Hobbes knew that look, Darien wasn't about to let him out of his sight. Hobbes let out a sigh. "Okay, kid, let's go down a few."  
  
~*~  
  
In the boarding gate area the following day, Ed sat on the chair as he waited patiently for the announcement for passengers to board the plane. He rummaged through his assorted science and surfing magazines he had brought along for the nearly four hour flight to Atlanta. He settled on a surfing one.  
  
On the cover of 'The Surfers Journal' was a picture of the young Vans Triple Crown winner. Ed shook his head, 'This grommet rips,' Ed thought to himself as he turned to read the cover article.  
  
Ed was four paragraphs into his article when he heard the announcement for seating of the first class. Ed rolled up the magazine and tucked it under his arm and reached down to grab his carry on.   
  
As he started for the gate a young couple started to argue. Ed stopped to look at the commotion. The argument had begun to get worse. He was about ready to start to walk again when he felt something in his side and then heard a voice whisper in his ear.  
  
"Arnaud wants to see you," the man with the gun to Ed's side took his plane ticket and handed it to someone else.   
  
Ed started to walk with the man dressed in a security uniform. He turned to see the other man walk up to the gate with his ticket, turn and smiled. The man went through the gate and boarded the plane without any trouble.  
  
Ed was led outside to a waiting van. The door opened and Ed was pushed inside.   
  
Some people were looking, but the fake security guard merely told them to move along that it was nothing serious; they just wanted to ask the man some questions. The guard got in the front of the van and it dove off.  
  
The whole operation only took minutes. Ed was on his way to meet with Arnaud and an imposter was in his place going to Atlanta. All of Ed's belongings were taken from him including the cell phone Walter had given him.   
  
There were no windows and there was a partition between Ed and the driver. There were two other people in the back with him and they kept silent, as did Ed.   
  
A phone rang for one of the men. He only gave one word answers. This made Ed very nervous as the man kept glancing in Ed's direction every now and then. When the he got off the phone, he nodded to the second man. They both reached into their bags and pulled out something that looked like a scuba divers regulator.  
  
"What's going on?" Ed asked in an uneasy tone.   
  
The men didn't answer. One of them pulled out a can, popped the small cap and set it on the floor. Ed stood up as a gas escaped from the can, "What the!?!" He started to cough. Ed staggered to the back of the van and tried to open the doors, but they were specially locked.   
  
Ed covered his face in an attempt to shield his mouth and nose from the fumes, but it was all in vain. Weakened, he fell to his knees. He coughed violently and then fell onto his side. His world turned black as he slipped into unconsciousness.   
  
TBC... 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Claire sat her desk; she kept looking at her watch every now and then. She frowned when only a minute had passed by. Darien came in and sat on the counteragent chair staring at nothing in particular. Hobbes walked in a few moments later and noticed his two friends, he stared at them for a moment, "This is going to be a long couple of months with you two, look at you...you're like bubbling with excitement."  
  
Darien glared at Hobbes as did Claire.  
  
"Tell me that you two are not going to mope around for months? I may have to ask to be reassigned until Ed and Darcy get back." Hobbes pulled up a chair, "You guys have it bad and it's pathetic. Even Tom is more entertaining than you two right now."  
  
Claire turned to look at Darien, "Darcy? Where did she go?"  
  
Darien frowned, "She had to go with Mark as part of a delegation to some co-existence thing at the U.N."  
  
"When did she leave?" Claire asked.  
  
"Early, she got the call last night." Darien sounded lonely.  
  
Hobbes got up and walked over to Darien, "Come on, partner, we've got a case." He patted Darien on his back, "She'll be back before you know it."  
  
"How long is she going to be gone?" Claire asked.  
  
"A week and then she has to go with Mark with another delegation to Washington, D.C. She may be gone for at least a couple of weeks," Darien said as he half smiled at Claire and walked out of the Keep.  
  
Claire checked her watch again, "Ed should be up in the air by now." She let out a big sigh and stared at a picture of Ed. He was kneeling on his board, his right knee was almost touching the board, he was holding on one side with his right hand and his left arm was extended outward. There was a glassy wall of water around him as he glided effortlessly through the 'tube' of the wave. She loved this particular picture of him taken nearly six months ago as he vacationed in Hawaii. His posture on the board as he glided or almost flew over the water showed his oneness with his board and the wave. It showed a man under total control and focused. To ride a wave like that, you would have to be or else the wave controlled you.  
  
Claire remembered the story that Ed had recounted not too long ago. It had been a long time since any of them at the University had taken a vacation and Ed was at the point of near cabin fever. He had to get out of the lab and it showed. He was moody, extremely moody and as Tom had sensed, sexually frustrated. Long nights at the lab, working with the government on research projects had all but taken him out of the dating circuit and much to his dismay, off the beach as well. Until Walter came by and told him to take a week off. Ed hadn't hesitated and was out the door quicker than you can say 'cowabunga'.   
  
Ed had told Claire that he had no idea his picture was being taken by a photographer on a surfboard. Claire had smiled when Ed talked about the young Hawaiian beauty that had been attracted to the 'mainlander'. Ed didn't like telling her about his past escapades, not that he many to begin with. For the most part, Ed led a solitary life. He had become very uncomfortable when Claire asked him if he slept with her. Ed had refused to answer and stormed off, which was a big 'yes' in her book.   
  
Later he had come back and asked her why she wanted to know. "You know about me and Kevin. It really won't bother me, you weren't committed to me or anybody at the time," Claire paused looking at Ed, "I don't expect you to have been completely celibate, I certainly didn't expect it of Darien. A man has needs, Ed, I'm well aware of that. But..."  
  
Ed held her close, "It was a one night stand. When I woke up she was gone and the picture was on the side of the bed where she slept. I was just another notch in her belt for 'mainlander' I guess."  
  
Claire looked at Ed with fascination, "Interesting, usually it's the guys getting the 'notches'."  
  
"Well, she knew I was only in Hawaii for a short time anyway, no sense in getting into a deep relationship and I certainly wasn't looking for any," Ed said. "She came up to me after I was done surfing and invited me to a luau. I went obviously and we ended up back at my room. She was a novice photographer and decided to shoot pictures of surfers that day. She saw me and well, the rest you know," Ed rolled his eyes in embarrassment.   
  
"Well, at least tell me you used protection," Claire asked.  
  
"Of course, I'm well aware of diseases and the last thing I need is a little Ed running around, at least at the moment, but maybe later..." Ed held Claire tight in his arms.  
  
"Kids? You want kids?" Claire asked as she smiled.  
  
"Sure, eventually," Ed kissed her softly on the lips. "You're the only girl in my life now, Claire. I've committed myself to you. I don't want to risk losing you because I did something stupid."  
  
"I know that, Ed, you're not the type. Thank you for being honest with me," Claire looked at the picture, "Can I have it?"  
  
"What that? You sure?" Ed asked confused.  
  
"Yeah, I can look at it everyday and see what she let go and I caught."  
  
Ed smiled, "You sure did."  
  
A voice rang out loud from the intercom in the Keep and snapped Claire out of her trip down memory lane, "Sorry, doctor, but the Official wants to see you right away."  
  
"Oh, okay, Eberts, I'll be there in a minute," She said into the speaker. Claire took a quick glance at the picture and half smiled, "Bobby is right, I do have it bad for him." She walked out of the Keep.  
  
~*~  
  
Walter walked into the lab and saw Sloan as she worked at her computer, "Hi, Sloan." He glanced over at Ed's empty desk, "Sure is quiet around here."  
  
Sloan smiled, "Yeah, a little too quiet."  
  
Walter glanced down at the floor, "Well, looks like my superior is sending us on a mission."  
  
Sloan's eyes widened, "Really!" She stood up excited. Unlike Ed, Sloan really enjoyed field work.  
  
"You and Tom are going to Canada and I'm going to Hong Kong," Walter said as he handed Sloan a plane ticket.  
  
"Canada. Hong Kong," She looked up at Walter, "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome?"  
  
"Yes, my boss wants us to investigate to see whether this is dominant related or not. After we discovered their plan in Alaska, we can't be too careful."  
  
"What about Ed? Shouldn't he be called back? We could sure use his help."  
  
"I thought the same thing, but my boss wants to keep him at Emory and we can't disturb him with this." Walter said.  
  
"So, what are we looking for?" Sloan asked.  
  
"We're going to first check the DNA of those that have contracted the new virus to see if they're human or not. Then, we go from there," Walter answered. "Let Tom know for me and do be careful out there."  
  
"Oh uhmm...what about Ray?"  
  
"Ray is on assignment with Alex. This may also be connected to Chrysalis. They will check that angle out while Darien and Hobbes investigate the dominants."   
  
"Nice to see our two groups working on something together again," Sloan said with a smile.  
  
"We certainly can cover more ground this way," Walter smiled and left the lab.  
  
Sloan picked up her phone and called Tom.  
  
~*~  
  
The lady sat at the oval shaped table with her colleagues.   
  
"What is the status of Project Gemini?" The first man asked.   
  
"Dr. Tate should be with the subject now. Attwood will be leaving for Hong Kong and Parker and Daniels will be going to Canada. Peterson and an ex-Agency agent will be investigating the Chrysalis organization. Fawkes and his partner will be checking the dominants. Of course we will provide them with a lead that will take them out of San Diego." She paused and looked around the room before continuing, "All the agents will be either out of the country or out of the city, that will leave only Dr. Keeply around, but she will be too busy with her research to realize anything is going on."  
  
"I don't like the idea of collaborating with a known bio-terrorist, especially in these times," a second man responded.  
  
"We can't back out now. We all agreed on this plan after our experiments with Agent Fawkes. Dr. Tate can get close enough to the gland that de Fohn has reproduced. When he comes back, we can get the information from him and produce our own glands. We can have a weapon to use against the dominant threat," the lady reiterated. "The gland cost this government way too much money for it to be wasted in an ex-thief's head working for an agency that is at the bottom of the barrel. We should be utilizing the full potential of Dr. Kevin Fawkes' hard work."  
  
"How do we know that de Fohn won't kill Dr. Tate?" Another man asked.  
  
"I have that covered." The lady partly smiled.  
  
~*~  
  
Darien and Hobbes sat in The Official's office. "We're working this SARS case together. Right now, Walter is sending Sloan and Tom to Canada while he will be going to Hong Kong. Alex will be joining us and she is teamed with Ray to investigate Chrysalis."  
  
"So, what are we going to do?" Darien asked.  
  
"You will be investigating the dominants." Eberts stated calmly.  
  
"Great," Hobbes looked at Darien, "Just don't go dominant nutso on me, okay?"  
  
"I won't," Darien turned the Official, "So, I take it this whole flu thing might be the work of dominants or Chrysalis?"  
  
"That's the thinking from Walter's superior. They've asked us to help them and this would be a perfect opportunity to show them what we can do." The Official turned to Eberts, "Give them their mission."  
  
"Yes, sir," Eberts handed Hobbes and Darien the folders detailing their mission. They thumbed through it as Eberts explained.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed woke up in a room and looked around, his vision still slightly blurred, "This is eerily familiar."  
  
The door opened.   
  
"This is the part where I'm given an ultimatum. 'Work for me or die'." Ed mused as he watched Arnaud come into the room. Ed partly smiled, "Okay, so when do we start?"  
  
"Nice, glad to see that you're going to be cooperative."  
  
"Like I have a choice," Ed said sarcastically. He stood up and walked over to Arnaud. "I've seen how you handle incompetence and those who don't do what you want. I'm not in the mood to die today," Ed sneered.   
  
"Fast learner."  
  
"Very fast."  
  
"I'll remember that."  
  
"You should."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Good."  
  
Arnaud looked at Ed, "You have been hanging around Fawkes' partner haven't you?"  
  
"What does Hobbes have to do with anything?" Ed asked confused.  
  
"Nothing, you just reminded me of a conversation I once had with Agent Hobbes." Arnaud walked out with Ed trailing behind him.  
  
Ed gave Arnaud a peculiar glare. "So, what exactly do you need my help on?" Ed asked as he looked around the lab. "Nice, set up. Guess bio-terrorism has been good to you."  
  
"I have only the best equipment," Arnaud said with a smile.  
  
"I'm sure you do," Ed studied the state of the art microscope. "Hmm, nice."  
  
Arnaud motioned for Ed to sit down, "Have a seat." He watched as Ed sat down, "Tell me, Dr. Tate, what do you know about the gland?"  
  
"Well, let me see, apart from the mutation pretty much what you know," Ed smiled.  
  
Arnaud pulled out his gun, "I really don't have time for games, Dr. Tate. Please don't make me shoot you, it would be a waste of intelligence and that is hard to find these days."  
  
Ed looked down the barrel of the gun, "Okay." Ed proceeded to tell Arnaud everything he new about the implantation process, the molecular make up of the quicksilver, how it's produced and even how Arnaud "fixed" the gland with the new stabilizing compound.   
  
Arnaud was impressed, "Very good, you've done your homework. That makes my job easier."  
  
Ed folded his arms, "Alright, I've done most of the talking here. Now it's your turn."  
  
"I need for you to genetically modify the gland I have to be compatible with human DNA and fix it so that it will shut off. I need it to work like the one in Fawkes' head."   
  
Ed thought for a moment, "Okay, easy enough, you have a blood sample I'm assuming of the guinea pig?"  
  
Arnaud smiled, "Yes, I do."  
  
"How are we going to test the gland to make sure it shuts off?" Ed asked as he crossed his arms.  
  
"I have a prototype of the one you'll be working on. When you get that one ready, my team will implant it in a monkey."  
  
Ed smiled, "What, no rats this time?"  
  
"Only for you?"  
  
"I'm honored." Ed said mockingly. "Okay, next question, has the test monkey been prepped for the gland? I mean, have you given it the necessary peptide injections?"  
  
"Yes, that has already been done."  
  
Ed looked at Arnaud quizzically, "Okay ... uhmm ... when did you want me to get started?"  
  
"Right now, time is of the importance and the sooner you start the sooner you'll finish." Arnaud motioned for the gland to be brought in. Ed got up and walked over to have a better a look.  
  
"Incredible, so which one is the primary macro ganglion and which one is the secondary?" Ed asked as he studied the gland in the clear liquid.   
  
"This one is laser sutured to the blood vessels."  
  
"Uhmm, so that would be the secondary," Ed said still looking at the gland. "So, this one must be the primary that's connected to the brain stem?"  
  
"Correct," Arnaud stood up and looked down at Ed, "Now, shall we get started?"  
  
Ed straightened up, "Let's get the show on the road."  
  
~*~  
  
Darien and Hobbes sat in the van. Darien watched the scenery go by completely lost in his thoughts.  
  
"A penny for your thoughts," Hobbes quipped.   
  
"I really miss Darcy," Darien said depressed.  
  
Hobbes glanced over at his partner, "You're really in love with her aren't you?"   
  
"Yeah, I am." Darien paused and thought for a moment. His life had taken such a sudden turn in the past two years and it scared him.  
  
"But?"   
  
Hobbes interrupted his train of thought. "Huh?" Darien asked.  
  
  
  
"But... there's something else going in that hairball head of yours."  
  
"It's just that, I loved Casey and I blew it with her with my lies. I loved Kate, but I let her go. Then there was Allianora. I don't want to lose Darcy too. The people I love tend to get hurt or killed because of this gland. I don't want to go through all that again. I mean, look at Ed, Arnaud almost killed him because of it and I didn't even know Ed yet."  
  
Hobbes thought for a moment, "Look, if you let that kind of thinking control you, you'll never take chances, my friend. Trust Bobby Hobbes on this one kid, don't let anything get in the way of love." Hobbes frowned at his own comment. He had lost Claire because he didn't fish off the company pier.  
  
Darien smiled at Hobbes, "Darcy and I are getting married, or joined, or connected..." Darien waved his hand in the air, "I don't know what dominants call it."  
  
Hobbes did a double take, "What? Married? Already? You? When?"  
  
"Whoa, that was impressive, Hobbes, five one word questions." Darien smirked. "They teach you that in Interrogation 101? Cause if that's meant to confuse someone, it works."  
  
"No, I happen to be an expert at interrogation, my wise ass friend. No one, and I mean no one, can outlast Bobby Hobbes." Hobbes shook his finger at Darien.  
  
"Uh-huh, yeah, you mean like, ohhh, let's say, Allianora," Darien said with a smile. He glanced at Hobbes as he raised both brows.  
  
Hobbes gripped the steering wheel. He stared at the road to avoid looking at Darien's face. Hobbes knew he would have that smug look on his face he gets when he's right. "You would bring her up." Hobbes was silent for a moment, "Okay, but let me tell you, she's the only one that didn't crack under the supreme interrogation techniques of Bobby Hobbes."  
  
"You know if they ever make a movie about secret agents and they wanted to do one on you, it would be called 'Bobby Hobbes in Wonderland'."  
  
"Ahh ... is that insult?"  
  
"No, Hobbes, in your case, it's a compliment."  
  
"Sounded like an insult to me."  
  
"Hobbes, I want to ask you a question," Darien said in a serious tone.  
  
"Sure, shoot partner, what'd ya need to know?"  
  
Darien smirked at Hobbes reply, "Uhmm ... would you be my best man?"  
  
"Your what? Best man? Me?" Hobbes pointed to himself and Darien nodded. "What about Ed, I thought you would pick him."  
  
"Why, because he looks like me? No, Hobbes, I've known you longer; you had to deal with my selfishness, the madness, my impulses ... " Darien looked at Hobbes. "You can stop me anytime, Hobbes." Darien sneered.   
  
Hobbes shook his head in agreement, "No please, continue, you're on a roll."  
  
"Ha-ha, very funny. But seriously, would you be my best man?"   
  
Hobbes smiled, "Fawkes, I'm honored; of course I'll be your best man."  
  
Darien smiled, "Cool."  
  
Hobbes turned the corner and pulled over, "Okay, hot shot, you're on."  
  
"You got my back?" Darien shot Hobbes a worried look.  
  
"Always, my friend."  
  
Darien smiled and let the quicksilver flow. He exited the van and walked down the row of warehouses, careful so he didn't bump into anybody like that time in the hospital when Hobbes had hit his head. He put his shield up so he wouldn't be sensed. Darien was getting accustomed to his new role in life. He actually was starting to enjoy it. It sure made things easier for him and he found himself getting his butt kicked less often.  
  
The Agency had received a tip that someone was about to release the SARS virus in Southern California. They had received a location as to where the dominants responsible could be found. Pasadena.   
  
He found the building and quietly opened the door. He had sensed three dominants in the building and they were in the back. Darien made his way towards them, he felt like the fox in the hen house. It was all too easy now. He quickly incapacitated two of them. But something had happened to Darien. He gazed down at the two men and smiled, he had snapped their necks like they were twigs and the thing was, he enjoyed it.  
  
The third looked at his comrades lying on the floor, he scanned the room. He couldn't sense anything. He had started to run for it when he felt something pull him to the floor. He watched as a tall man suddenly appeared looming over him. Coal black eyes burned into him.   
  
"Now where do you think you're going?" Darien asked putting his foot down on the man's chest.  
  
"I know who you are," the man said trying to get air into his lungs.  
  
Darien swayed his head back and forth, "Yeah, I'm sure you do. Lewis and the Council really love me. Yeah, their big fans of mine." Darien bent down and hauled the injured man off the floor and tossed him onto a chair. "Now you're going to answer a few questions for me."  
  
"I won't," the man stated sternly.  
  
Darien chuckled, "Oh now you see, I disagree." Darien leaned down to get closer to the man's face, he gazed at him with a look of desire to do bodily harm, "I think you will."  
  
About twenty minutes after Darien left Hobbes waiting in the van, the door opened up again. Hobbes saw the indent suddenly appear on the seat.   
  
"Drive."  
  
Hobbes heard the disembodied voice. He didn't like the way Darien sounded. With caution he asked, "You okay there, Fawkes?"  
  
"Drive."  
  
Hobbes mentally did a check on his gun.  
  
"You won't need that."  
  
Hobbes heard Darien breathe heavily. "So, how did it go, get anything?" Hobbes asked carefully.   
  
"Lewis, I'm going to see Lewis." Darien reappeared in a burst of silver rain. He turned to look at Hobbes.   
  
Hobbes nearly jumped out of his seat. "Fawkes, your eyes?"  
  
"What about them?" Darien asked coldly. He had no emotion at all and only one person was on his mind at the moment, Lewis. Darien pulled the rear view mirror towards him and stared into his cold dark black eyes. He turned back to look at Hobbes and smiled.  
  
Hobbes didn't like the new look to his eyes. There was something about them. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the black eyes reminded him of something. This looked different then when Fawkes quicksilvers his eyes. No, this time the look of death was there and it was very cold. Hobbes felt like he looked into the abyss, a bottomless pit of no emotion. As is, he would have bet his pay that his partner was under the influence of quicksilver madness.  
  
"Okay, so where do I go?" Hobbes asked as he started up the van.  
  
Darien gave Hobbes directions to Lewis' new training house. For the entire trip, Darien kept quiet, still keeping his game face on. Hobbes knew enough to not break Darien's concentration. He knew that Darien was fighting internally for control and now is not a good time to upset him.   
  
Hobbes had driven them out to the rural area of the city. Darien looked around, "Stop here." Hobbes stopped the van. He watched as Darien's body was coated with the metallic blanket. The door opened and then closed.  
  
"I'll just wait here then," Hobbes announced quietly. He let out a sigh. "I hope he gets his act together, he's not a great conversationalist in dominant mode or whatever mode he's in now. I would rather deal with QSM then this."  
  
Darien walked right up to the front door. He pushed on the door and it opened easily. "Cocky son of a..." Darien stated as he started up the spiraling stair case in the mansion. He shook his head as he took a glance around the spacious house. As usual, there was no furniture or any other sign that showed that someone was living in the huge house. "Lewis, you're too stuck on yourself," Darien quipped.  
  
He walked down the hall on the second floor. Darien shed the quicksilver and walked into one of the large rooms. Lewis had his back to the door as he worked on his computer.   
  
"You know for someone who trains assassins, you should know never sit with your back to the door."  
  
"Hello, Darien. I've been expecting you." Lewis said smugly. He turned around and faced Darien.  
  
Darien walked around the room so his back wasn't towards the door. "You were, I'm surprised there wasn't a surprise party waiting for me."  
  
"Against you? They wouldn't have a chance. We both know that. But as for your man outside."  
  
Darien stopped and glared at Lewis, "Anything happens to him and I'll snap your neck."   
  
Lewis caught sight of Darien's eyes when he turned. Darien approached him, "Like what you see, Lewis? Look at what you created."  
  
Lewis couldn't help but be hypnotized by the black eyes. "What happened to you?"  
  
Darien smiled, "Don't know that yet. Pretty scary huh? Now, about Hobbes," Darien grabbed Lewis and pushed him up against the wall and held him there, "Nothing better happen to him," Darien hissed through gritted teeth.  
  
"As long as we continue to talk, he'll be fine. I heard what you did to my men at the warehouse. Your skills have improved. Tom must be a doing a good job, after all I did train him."  
  
"Why don't you just go ahead and nominate yourself for dominant of the year? You're so damn high on yourself, Lewis." Darien let Lewis go.  
  
"Let me help you, Darien. I can find out what's going on with you," Lewis said.  
  
"I don't think so. You've done enough already."  
  
"Darien, you can't fight it, you're turning into the perfect killing machine and you know it. The humans can't help you."  
  
"One can."  
  
"I'm sure he can." Lewis paused and then continued, "Darien, I'm afraid that someone has sent you on a wild goose chase as the humans say. As much as I would love for us to take credit for the SARS virus, we didn't have anything to do with it. And you know I'm telling the truth."  
  
Darien looked down at the floor and then back up at Lewis, "Okay, you are telling the truth. I'll be watching you, Lewis." Darien started to head for the door when Lewis called out to him.  
  
"Darien, how is Darcy?"  
  
Darien stopped and turned around to face Lewis, "She's fine, doing much better now."  
  
"I'm sure she is," Lewis said a smile on his face. "Oh and tell Dr. Tate 'bravo' for me. That man has more lives than any human I've known."  
  
"Yeah, not bad for a human, he's outsmarted you on just about every curve ball you've thrown at him hasn't he?" Darien winked at Lewis, and disappeared from sight.  
  
Lewis groaned, "I'll have you, and Dr. Tate soon enough. His luck can't last forever and you can't fight the instincts within you for long." Lewis smiled and he picked up his phone and called his men to tell them to let Fawkes and his partner go. There'll be another day.  
  
Darien made it back to the van, but before he could open the door he stumbled, "Hobbes."  
  
"Fawkes!" Hobbes jumped out of the van and ran to the other side. He found Darien sitting on the ground leaning up against the van to support him. "You okay?"  
  
Darien looked up at Hobbes, his eyes were brown again, "What's happening to me?"  
  
"Don't know pal, but we better get back to San Diego so the Keep can have a look at ya." Hobbes helped Darien to his feet and into the van.  
  
"I'm tired," Darien said as he leaned back on the seat.  
  
"Take a nap."  
  
"And I'm hungry, can we stop for two double bacon cheeseburgers with fries and a coke ... oh and Hobbes, biggie size it for me," Darien said and then promptly fell asleep.  
  
Hobbes shook his head, "You're like the lean mean eating machine. Ed was right, your appetite did pick up." He started up the van and headed back to San Diego. He looked over at Darien slumped in the chair sleeping. He pulled out his phone and called Claire.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed had no idea how long he worked on the gland. It seemed like a day had gone by. He was on a roll and it was non-stop for him. A couple of scientists had asked him to take a break and he refused. He was close and he felt it. Ed was a blur in a white lab coat as he went from one end of the table to the other. His chair propelled by his feet as he slid back and forth. Clear safety glasses adorned his face and his hands covered with the latex gloves.   
  
Arnaud watched him with fascination as he dipped a dropper in a solution and then gently squeezed it out into several different vials. He saw Kevin and Darien combined in one man. Ed was just as determined and focused as Kevin was when a problem needed to be solved. But he was also like Darien in more than just his looks; they both had that carefree swagger when they walked. Arnaud figured it was the self confidence they both possesed.  
  
Ed had gotten up and went over to the gavitron, to Ed it was similar to the one that Walter had taken from Dr. Copeland's lab. Ed didn't even wonder how Arnaud got a hold of one; he was so wrapped up in what he was doing to even think to ask. He took out a vial and held it up to look at it in the light. He mumbled something and sat back down. Ed pulled out another dropper and removed some of the liquid from the vial he took from the gavitron. He put some on a slide and slipped it under the lens of the microscope. He looked through the eye piece and mumbled again to himself.  
  
Arnaud hadn't seen anyone so consumed in their work in a long time. Ed got up from his chair and took the eye dropper with him. He was now hovering over the gland. He placed the eye dropper into a vial and squeezed out its contents. Next he picked up a syringe and placed the needle into the liquid. He pulled back on the plunger and filled the syringe a quarter of the way. Ed said something to the scientist that was helping him and he nodded. The gland was taken out of the jar and Ed with steady hands gently inserted the needle and pressed on the plunger. The gland was replaced back in the jar.  
  
Ed looked over at Arnaud, "Now we wait."  
  
"Splendid, Dr. Tate. I'll have some food brought to you." Arnaud turned and walked out.  
  
Ed looked at the others and took off his glasses and gloves. Some of the scientists patted him on the back. Ed gave them half hearted smiles. He turned and looked at the gland, "How come I feel like Dr. Frankenstein?"  
  
~*~  
  
Claire was there when Hobbes pulled up. She didn't see Darien. "Where is he?"  
  
"In the back, we stopped for the cheeseburgers and after he finished eating, he crawled to the back and fell asleep." Hobbes stated as he opened the back of the van.   
  
"I'll get a gurney," Claire said as she started to leave.  
  
"I carried him one time before, I can do it again." Hobbes bent down and shook Darien, "Hey kid, wake up. Come on, I'll carry you."  
  
"Oh okay," Darien was groggy. It actually felt like he had one too many beers.  
  
With Hobbes help, Darien was taken to the Keep for tests. For the next couple of hours, Claire ran every test she could think of. If there was ever a time she needed Ed it was now. Even Hobbes had started to feel the same way.  
  
The Official strolled in a couple of hours later as Claire looked over CT scans, MRI's, EEG's and she was still no closer to finding an answer. Nothing was showing up. She had even run a DNA check using Ed's program and it showed that he was still at 1.6% differential.  
  
"Report, doctor," the Official asked.  
  
Claire scratched her head, "I don't know. I don't see anything. I've ran test after test and I just can't find the answer. I really could Ed's help on this."  
  
"How's the gland?"  
  
"It's fine," Claire looked over at Darien who was still sleeping. "Hobbes said that he ate two double cheeseburgers, a large fry and drank a large coke. I know he can eat, but even that is a lot. Ed did say that dominants have a higher metabolism because of the energy their brains put out. But I've never seen Darien eat like that even after his conversion. The only thing I can think of is Darien was in a high emotional state and it zapped the energy out him. But it doesn't explain why his eyes were completely black. I may have to have him repeat what happened so I can run more tests."  
  
The Official grunted. He wasn't sure if that was a good idea without Tom around. He decided to play it safe and wait. As long as the gland was not affected, he could wait before putting Darien through that situation again. "As soon as you can, contact Dr. Tate and see what he says," he turned around and walked out.  
  
Claire let out a sigh and went back to reviewing the test results.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed looked up from the microscope, "Okay, I think we're ready."  
  
"So soon? How did you fix it?" Arnaud asked.  
  
Ed turned around on the seat to face Arnaud, "Simple, I remember reading what happened with Simon Cole. His body was unable to release the inhibitor catalyst to turn off the gland because of something in his mitochrondial DNA that was a recessive genetic marker. His DNA was not compatible with the new beta reagent in the gland. It wasn't that the gland wouldn't shut off, Cole's body couldn't shut it off."   
  
Arnaud thought for a moment, "That's when I was brought on the project. I changed the stabilizing compound."  
  
"Yes and the gland's inhibitor reagent was modified by ... " Ed waited for Arnaud to answer.  
  
"Retroviral DNA splicing ... yes of course," Arnaud ran his hand through his hair.   
  
"You must have the same recessive genetic marker in your DNA like Simon Cole. All I needed to do was to match the inhibitor reagent to the host's DNA and do the retroviral DNA splicing on the gland." Ed said as he looked at Arnaud. "Another words, gene therapy." Ed shrugged his shoulders. "This prototype is ready for the test subject." Ed turned and looked at the gland.  
  
Arnaud smiled, he turned to the other scientists and the guards in the room, "You heard him, let's get the test subject ready."  
  
Ed watched as some guards came near him. Ed stood up, "Whoa ... hey, what's going on here?"  
  
Arnaud turned around with a syringe in his hand, "Just like you said, I'm getting the test subject ready."  
  
The guards grabbed Ed. He looked at them and realization hit, "No! That gland is marked for the monkey."  
  
"Now that you told us how to do it, I think we can manage," Arnaud nodded his head and Ed was held down on the table. Arnaud looked into the man's frightened face, "Don't worry, Dr. Tate, it'll all be over before you know it."  
  
"Arnaud, we had a deal!" Ed struggled but the position he was in he found it hard to get the leverage he needed. He tried to kick out but his legs were being held down. The guards had placed one of their legs in front of Ed's legs. He was completely immobilized.   
  
"Yes, and I'm changing it," Arnaud injected Ed with the sedative.  
  
The guards let Ed go and he fell to the floor on his knees. He looked up and Arnaud knelt down next to him, "You betrayed me."  
  
Arnaud smiled, "Sleep well, and I'll see you in about three weeks."  
  
Ed lost the battle with the sedative. He rolled onto his back and into a deep sleep. Arnaud stood up and looked at the guards, "Get him on the table." He turned to the scientists, "Lets get started shall we?"  
  
TBC... 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: There is some bad language in this part.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Claire explained what had happened a few days ago to Tom, Sloan and Walter when they arrived back at the Agency. Tom had never heard of anything like that happening. Claire had stated that she ran the DNA test to see if somehow Darien had started to evolve again, but to everyone's relief, that turned out to be negative.   
  
"I was fine when I went into the warehouse. Before I killed two of the dominants, that's when I wigged out. It was like quicksilver madness, but I had it under control. I stayed like that until after I left Lewis' mansion."  
  
Tom raised a brow, "You saw Lewis in that condition and you didn't kill him?"  
  
"I wanted too, but Hobbes' life was in danger." Darien stated.  
  
"You didn't want to kill Hobbes?" Tom asked.  
  
"That's what is so weird; this isn't like before. I wanted to kill, just not Hobbes. When I killed those two dominants, it was easy, like no effort at all. The thing is, Tom, I didn't care that they were dominants."  
  
Tom looked over at Sloan who was dismayed at what Darien was saying. They had thought that Darien had control over his instincts, but it appeared that something else is happening. Dominants normally did not attack each other; it was a silent code among them that was necessary for survival, at least for now. "Darien, would you be willing to repeat that again so Sloan and Claire could examine you?"  
  
"You sure it's safe?" Darien asked concerned for the safety of the women.  
  
"You didn't want to kill Hobbes, so I'm guessing that the same will hold true for Sloan and Claire. Besides, I'll be here."  
  
"I'm not so sure I want to do that again. Lewis had said that I was turning into the perfect killing machine…" Darien was interrupted by a shout from Hobbes.  
  
"That's it…a perfect killing machine…a Great White shark…that's what you reminded of, my friend. Your eyes had that cold death look in 'em, like in 'Jaws'." Hobbes looked at everyone around the room, "Well, he did, and it was freaky, gave me goose bumps."  
  
"Wonder why this is happening now and didn't earlier?" Sloan thought for a moment. "Darien, what do you remember when Lewis had you?"  
  
"Uhmm, nothing more than what I told you already," Darien stated.  
  
Tom walked around a bit as he concentrated. He turned his attention back to Darien, "Did Lewis inject you with anything?"  
  
Darien looked down at the floor, "Not that I remember. Why?"  
  
"There's a drug that Lewis uses on his Chameleons. It's like a mind control drug. I've seen him use it and I'm sure he used it on me. I think we should assume that he used it on Darien as well," Tom said as he looked at Claire and Sloan.  
  
"Like the dominant serum, this drug may have reacted to the counteragent residue or the gland itself. Maybe the properties in the quicksilver," Claire said thinking out loud. "But when Darien took Ed to Lewis, his eyes were normal. Maybe the drug wasn't in his system long enough for the reaction to happen or maybe Lewis gave him another injection later."   
  
"So, what you're saying is that every time I get angry I'm gonna turn into 'Bruce' because of some drug Lewis gave me?" Darien turned his away, "I really hate this gland."  
  
The door to the Keep opened and Ray walked in. Tom glanced in his direction and nodded his greeting. Ray stood next to Darien.   
  
"What did you find?" Sloan asked.  
  
"Nothing. Agent Monroe snuck inside and hacked into one of the computers, it seems that Chrysalis were just as concerned as we were. They had memos going back and forth about trying to find a way to protect themselves," Ray said.   
  
Walter shook his head, "Well, until we know more about the blood samples, I'd say this is a natural virus. When Ed gets back we'll have him do extensive tests on the samples we collected. I don't see this going away in the near future. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Walter turned and walked out of the Keep.  
  
Ray looked around and his cop instincts told him something was wrong, "Okay, now is someone going to tell me what's going on here?"  
  
"He's good." Darien said.   
  
"I didn't become a detective for L.A.P.D. sitting behind a desk," Ray retorted.  
  
"We're not sure yet actually. Darien may have had some reaction while investigating dominants. I've run tests and everything appears to be normal…normal for Darien anyway." Claire scratched the back of her head in confusion. She still had no idea what had happened to Darien.  
  
"Did you call Ed?" Ray asked.  
  
"Yes, but he can't do anything to help of course," Claire stated in a tired and frustrated voice.  
  
Ray sighed. "This just keeps getting better all the time. Well, I have a few reports to fill out." Ray patted Darien on his back, "These are smart people here, I've seen them come up with some pretty amazing stuff. They'll find the answer for you."  
  
Darien nodded as Ray left. "How is Ed anyway?" Darien asked.  
  
"Oh, he's fine. He sounded tired." Claire missed him and it showed in her voice.  
  
Sloan smiled, "They probably have him jumping. Ed hasn't been in a class room setting in a long time."  
  
"He did mention that when he gets back, he wants to look over the test results," Claire stated and then turned her attention to Darien, "You can go home if you want. There's nothing more I can do."  
  
Darien let out a long cleansing sigh, "Okay," he got up and stopped, he turned to face Claire, "Thanks, you know for trying to figure this out."  
  
A look of sympathy etched across Claire's face, "We'll find the answer."  
  
"I know," Darien said as he balled his left hand into a fist and tapped Claire's shoulder, "I trust you." Darien turned and left with Hobbes right behind him.  
  
Claire gazed down at the floor, her eyes welling up with tears. Sloan put her hand on Claire's shoulders, "What's wrong?"  
  
Claire wiped her face with her bare hands, "I don't know actually, it's like I felt this weight on me all of a sudden." She looked at Sloan, "I don't know if I'll ever find an answer to this one."  
  
"Why don't we have a look at the test results? A fresh pair of eyes might help." Sloan said with a smile. Tom watched as the two scientists went over the test results again.  
  
~*~  
  
Arnaud stood over an unconscious Ed. He had just gone over the latest scans and was happy to see that the gland was intertwining itself with Ed's central nervous system. So far, it appeared that the implantation process was a success. Ed's body had not rejected the gland and his vitals were very strong. He would keep Ed in a medically induced coma for two and a half weeks. After that, he would pull Ed out of the coma and start to revive the scientist turned lab rat.  
  
Arnaud looked at the voice digitizer he held in his hand. It had come in use one more time. He had fooled Darien into believing that his brother Kevin was still alive and now it worked again. But unlike with Darien when he lost information about the gland, he had learned something very interesting about his nemesis. Darien was no longer part of the human species. He had become one of those dominants he had heard about on the news. The joining of the Agency and the group that Ed belonged to was starting to make sense to him now. If Darien was ever going to be human, he would need Ed's help. Now he understood why Ed was so determined to learn about the mutation that the cure for quicksilver madness caused. If Ed was going to be successful in reconverting Darien, the gland would need to be fixed.  
  
Arnaud couldn't wait for Ed to wake up. He wanted to know more, but he knew he couldn't press Claire for too much information. She would certainly become suspicious. The knowledge he needed might be in the laptop that Ed carried with him. Arnaud turned to one of the doctors standing nearby, "I want hourly updates on his condition."  
  
The doctor nodded and Arnaud smiled at Ed, "Looks like we have a lot to talk about when you wake up, Dr. Tate." Arnaud left the room and went to his office. The first thing he did when he sat down at is desk was to call the Lady. He wouldn't tell her that he had inserted the gland in Ed, after all that wasn't part of the deal. He changed the deal to make sure that her part of the bargain was fulfilled. If she wanted counteragent for Ed, then she would have to give him what he asked for.  
  
He put Ed's laptop on his desk and smiled, "Now, what can you tell me?"  
  
~*~  
  
Nearly three weeks had passed and Claire and Sloan were not any closer to discovering what had happened to Darien that day. At least the good news was Darien had not had a repeat episode. Darcy had returned a week earlier and Darien was happy again. When she returned, they had started to make plans for their wedding ceremony.  
  
Since they both had been human at one time, they decided on doing a joint ceremony. Half human and half dominant, Darcy would wear a wedding dress, Darien would be in a tux and they would exchange vows and rings. But Tom would conduct the ceremony in the tradition of his people. It would be a small wedding, nothing over the top. Darien and Darcy wanted to keep things simple.  
  
Darcy had asked Claire to be her maid of honor. Claire had enthusiastically said 'yes' and the two had gone off looking at gowns.  
  
Darien looked at Hobbes, "Look, I know what tradition says to do to the groom, but man, no strip joints. All I need is for Darcy to find out and she'll 'Bobbit' me. "  
  
"No my, disappearing friend, no strip joints. I have clear orders from the Fat Man, nothing that will endanger the project, and that means nothing that will cause premature invisibility."  
  
"Oh yeah, how could I forget about that," Darien rolled his eyes.  
  
"Don't worry, I have your bachelor party under control," Hobbes said.  
  
Darien shot Hobbes a worried glance, "I'm in trouble."   
  
The two men walked down the hall and into the Official's office for a briefing.  
  
~*~  
  
Strange sensations he felt, like nothing he felt before. He had heard voices at first, voices saying things like 'good luck' and 'lets get started.' Then the sensation of something down his throat, but that didn't last long, the sensation was gone and he was back in the abyss. But now a sound penetrated this odd dream world.  
  
*beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep…*  
  
That annoying sound was back. He had heard it off an on as he drifted to and from the abyss, but what was it?   
  
"Dr. Tate."  
  
'Huh? Who is that?' Ed thought to himself.  
  
"Wake up, Dr. Tate."  
  
'I'm trying.'  
  
"Open your eyes."  
  
'I can't.' Ed understood where he was, in that place between sleep and awake. Where you are awake but you can't open your eyes. 'What do they call that? Think, Ed, you know. Oh wait, stage one, like the time you dozed off…'  
  
"Dr. Tate."  
  
'…in front of your computer…'  
  
"Open your eyes, Dr. Tate."  
  
'…but you knew you were still at work.'  
  
"I thought he was starting to wake up finally."  
  
*beep-beep, beep-beep…*  
  
"I think we can finally take this off."  
  
*beep-beep, beep…beep…beep*  
  
The sound slowly disappeared when it occurred to Ed what it was. 'A heart monitor…oh shit…I'm having a heart attack…I'm dying.'  
  
Ed's eyes fluttered opened. He let out a soft moan and tried to move but every muscle ached.   
  
He felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a voice speak softly, "Don't try to move, Dr. Tate, I'll get Arnaud."  
  
"Arnaud?" Ed said hoarsely. Then he remembered being taken from the airport and drugged shortly after, "What happened?" Ed tried to shallow. His throat was very dry and not to mention sore.  
  
"Try not to talk. I'll get you some ice chips."  
  
Ed watched through blurry vision as the man in white put down a chart and went to the intercom. "Mr. de Fehrn, Dr. Tate is finally awake and is asking questions," the man looked at Ed and smiled. He went over to a table and got a cup of ice chips ready.  
  
Ed again tried to speak, "What happened to me?" He saw all the medical equipment in the room and knew he was hooked up to various monitors. The most intriguing thing he saw in the room was a digital MRI image on the screen. Ed stared at it for a moment and was about to ask a question when the door opened.  
  
"Glad to see you finally woke up, Dr. Tate." Arnaud said with a smile. He grabbed the chart and looked at the recent notes. Arnaud looked at the other man, "Dr. Braun, did you tell him anything?"  
  
"No, I left that privilege up to you," Dr. Braun walked over to Ed with the cup of ice and proceeded to put a spoonful in Ed's mouth.  
  
Ed closed his eyes and groaned softly as the coolness of the ice chips coated his sore throat.  
  
"Feels better doesn't it? It'll take some time but your voice will back to normal soon. Intubation tubes can wreak havoc on vocal cords." The doctor held up another spoonful to Ed's mouth.  
  
Ed's brow creased with confusion, "Intubation, why?" Ed tried to hold his arm up to block the doctor's hand, but it ached from lack of use. Ed closed his eyes trying to mentally brush away the cobwebs in his mind. His eyes flew opened and he glared at Arnaud. He remembered. The intubation tube is what he felt down his throat; he must have started to come out of sedation.  
  
"The procedure was successful; the gland is now in your head, Dr. Tate. You've been in a medically induced coma for almost three weeks. We just brought you out of the coma four days ago. You've been in and out of consciousness for the past two days." Arnaud said.  
  
Ed tried to sit up, but every muscle ached, "What? Three weeks?" Ed said in shock. "You put it in me?" His voice was raspy from unused vocal cords.  
  
"You really didn't think I was going to waste time with a monkey. Time is of the importance here," Arnaud said smugly as he walked around to the other side of the bed. "This gland, like Fawkes', has a mutation. Like the other gland, it releases a toxin into your bloodstream. This time however, you should crave the counteragent more than Darien did. See, I remember how Darien took off and went quicksilver mad. He didn't even attempt to go back to the agency for counteragent. That wasn't supposed to happen. Like a good junkie, he was supposed to return to his pusher where he could get his fix. Then eventually he built up immunity to the counteragent. I hope to have that problem resolved," Arnaud leaned down and looked into Ed's fearful eyes.   
  
Arnaud straightened up and walked around the bed again, he kept his hand on the bed rail, "The symptoms of quicksilver madness are reflected by you. The quicksilver in the brain tissues will cause your epinephrine/norepinephrine levels to rise. This of course will cause the higher cortical functions to degrade."  
  
"Violent behavior, suicidal tendencies, impaired judgment, paranoia…I already know all about quicksilver madness." Ed hissed though his words sounded broken up.   
  
Arnaud smiled, "Your level of education will make this easier for me to explain. You see, after I learned that Fawkes had built up a resistance to the counteragent, I had to come up with a new improved mutation."  
  
"Arnuad," Ed said hoarsely, "even a junkie needs more and more of the narcotic at some point. The body builds up a resistance to the point that even the smallest amount has no effect." Ed swallowed painfully; his face contorted from the discomfort. He glared at Arnaud heatedly. "That's what happened in Darien's case. My body will build up a resistance it's just a matter of when. Will I require more counteragent? What long term effect will it have on my system?" Ed grimaced again, his throat was sore and he was barely able to get his long tirade out.   
  
"This is why you're the perfect test subject. Those are questions that you will help me solve and I'm sure there are others."  
  
"You put this in my head and you don't even know what the long term effects are?" Ed's voice was fading. Soon he would be unable to speak. He was surprised that his voice lasted this long.  
  
"That's why they call it an experiment, Dr. Tate. You run your experiments on lab monkeys. I'm running my experiment on you." Arnaud leaned down to Ed again, "Now you'll have to stay and help me to save you from yourself."  
  
"I suppose you have counteragent?" Ed asked.  
  
"Dr. Tate, of course I do." Arnaud straightened up and walked towards the door, "Oh and if your thinking of escaping, let me tell you, the counteragent used for Fawkes will not work on you." Arnaud turned to the doctor, "Get him ready to start the tests as soon as possible."  
  
Ed watched as Arnaud left, "Son of a…" Ed stopped himself and glared at the doctor, "You're a doctor, how could you let him do this?" Ed's voice was just barely audible.   
  
"All in the name of science and not to mention a nice retirement," the doctor started to remove the various sensors and tubes from Ed.  
  
"I've seen how Arnaud retires people, you should have thought twice about this," Ed said and turned his head away. He still felt very weak and he immediately thought of Claire. He closed his eyes and tried to picture her in his mind, right now, she was his link to hope.  
  
~*~  
  
During the week, Ed had been in rehab to get use of his muscles again. Eventually he was able to work with weights and he pushed himself hard. If he was ever going to escape, he would need to build up his strength. He didn't care about Arnaud's warning; he would have to risk it. He started to plan on how to escape with the countergent and get back to the Agency.  
  
When Arnaud felt that Ed was ready to proceed with the experiment, he had Ed escorted to a room by two men. He wore sweat pants, sneakers, t-shirt and a sweat shirt over it. There were a couple of chairs in the middle of the room. Ed sat down and looked around. The room for the most part looked like an exam room, lab equipment sat on top of tables that were around the room, chairs, and monitors. Ed noticed that besides he and the two guards, there were other people that wore lab coats in the room. Ed sighed despondently, "Now I know how my monkeys feel."  
  
Arnaud entered the room and smiled, "I see that you're ready, good. Shall we get started?"  
  
Ed just smiled awkwardly at Arnaud; his hands rubbed his legs nervously.  
  
"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Arnaud said.  
  
"Yeah, is that what you said to Darien?" Ed hissed.  
  
Arnaud chuckled, "Darien is not important to me, only the gland. But you however, are important."  
  
"Funny way of showing it," Ed turned his head away from Arnaud. He didn't know that someone came up from behind him. A sudden loud noise took Ed by surprise. He jumped from his seat with a shout, "What the…oh…oh…" His heart started pound. That's when he felt something start to trickle down his face, then his arms. He looked at his hands and saw the silvery liquid leaking from his skin. "My God," he exclaimed. His heart was pounding faster and harder. He thought for a moment that his heart would explode from his chest like the 'Alien' creature. The room went from color to chrome vision.  
  
Arnaud smiled as Ed was instantly covered in a silvery blanket then disappeared, "Bravo, Dr. Tate!" he exclaimed with delight. The lab techs in the room clapped their hands.  
  
"How the hell do I shut it off?" The annoyed disembodied voice said.  
  
"Sit down and I'll tell you how to turn it on and off." Arnaud heard the chair squeak, "Splendid."  
  
"Well, at least that part works." Ed stated angrily. Now he hoped that the DNA splicing he did on the gland worked.  
  
"Yes, now we know that the quicksilver flows from the gland. Now to shut it off, it's all about biofeedback."   
  
"Right, I read that." Ed used his breathing technique he uses to calm himself before heading out to surf. It was sort of a ritual with him and most surfers. Before surfing, some would meditate to prepare their minds, body and soul. Ed found out quickly that it worked with stopping the flow of quicksilver as well. In just a few short moments, quicksilver flaked off. He looked at his hands and then felt his face. "Okay, I seem to be back," he glared at Arnaud, "What's next?"  
  
"You have to learn how to turn it on without involuntary stimulation." Arnaud leaned forward in his chair, "But first, tell me about Fawkes."  
  
A quizzical look was on Ed's face, "Not sure what you mean?"  
  
"Come now, I know all about Darien, he's a dominant. How has that affected the gland in his head?"  
  
"Wait, how did you know?" Ed asked sharply.  
  
Arnaud smiled, "I have my ways. Now, answer my question."  
  
Ed stared at Arnaud and saw the two guards coming near him. He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, "Yes, Darien's a dominant. A few months back he was captured by a dominant," he looked at Arnaud, "You two would probably get along…no forget that…you two have such large egos that neither of you would fit in a room at the same time," Ed said sarcastically. He waited for Arnaud to draw his gun and was surprised he didn't do it. Arnaud only smiled smugly at Ed. He continued, "As I was saying, this dominant mistook Darien for me. He injected Darien with a genome therapy to turn humans into dominants."  
  
"So, how did that affect the gland?" Arnaud asked.  
  
"Not really sure yet," Ed leaned forward in his chair, "but I do know that it stopped the new toxin producing cells from degrading Darien's sensory pathways. He won't be confined to a wheelchair anytime soon either."  
  
"Pity, I had hoped to see the effects of my cure." Arnaud leaned back in his chair. "I suppose you and Claire have tried to figure out a way to return Fawkes back to his miserable human form?"  
  
"There is a way, but unless we fix the gland, he will stay as he is," Ed leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms.   
  
Arnaud grinned at Ed, "So, Darien moved up on the evolutionary line, how intriguing."  
  
Ed didn't say a word; he just simply nodded and smiled.  
  
~*~  
  
For days Ed practiced biofeedback techniques. He had become proficient with the gland, able to quicksilver objects and only parts of his body. While learning the finer points of invisibility, Ed also spent a great deal of time in front of lab equipment running various tests on the new gland now in his head. He tried to remember as much information as he could; he had been planning an escape, but waited for the right moment. Unfortunately, that moment hadn't come yet.  
  
Arnaud came in and studied Ed, "How are you feeling today, Dr. Tate?"  
  
Ed had been feeling a little agitated since lunch time, but didn't know why, until now. "I'm doing well, under the circumstances." Ed lied. He had on and off again headaches for a couple of hours and they were progressively getting worse. Nothing that he couldn't handle at the moment, but somehow he knew that was going to change.  
  
Arnaud checked his watch, "You should be nearing stage one madness right about now."  
  
"You bastard," Ed hissed.  
  
Arnaud smiled, "Just as I thought."  
  
"You are going to give me counteragent?"  
  
"Of course I will, but not just yet. You see that is also part of the experiment. I need to see if the gland functions completely and that includes quicksilver madness."  
  
"You are one sick son of a…" Ed was cut off by piercing pain in his head. He cried out and fell to the floor taking some lab equipment with him. He had injured himself countless times surfing, but this was something he had never experienced before. The pain shot through him like someone stuck a red hot poker in the back of his head. His vision turned white as wave after wave of pain came upon him. He glared at Arnaud, "Make it stop."  
  
Arnaud got up and stood over Ed, "Not very pleasant is it?" Arnaud motioned for the guards to come forward. "For now, Dr. Tate, you will be kept in a room where you won't harm anyone and I'll be able to monitor the stages as you experience them."  
  
The guards hooked their arms under Ed and lifted him off the floor. They went out of the room and started down the hall when Ed had another seizure. He collapsed in their arms. They tried to hold him up, but he thrashed around too much. The pain subsided and Ed took his chance. It was risky but he had to try something and he knew that getting to the counteragent was out of the question. He would have to trust Claire and the others to help him.  
  
Ed stomped on one foot and then kicked the guard on the side of his knee. The first guard bent over and Ed swung the second guard around and smashed him into the first one. Ed moved so fast that the two guards had no time to react.   
  
The quicksilver coated Ed as he ran down the hall. He had to find an exit and fast. Ed ran until another rush of pain stopped him. He grasped the back of his neck and let out a moan while using the wall for support. After a few tense moments the pain went away, but not completely. "Damn, this hurts," Ed said miserably to himself as he willed his legs to move again. Ed was sure the alarm would sound at any moment or he would hear the footsteps of the guards hot on his heels. Knowing that Arnaud's guards would have thermals, he tried to shut off the flow of quicksilver, but couldn't. His heart was racing too fast. All the adrenaline pumping into this system would keep the quicksilver flowing. This wasn't good.   
  
Arnaud's phone rang as he prepared the counteragent. "What? Set the security cameras to thermal and find him!" Arnaud slammed his phone down on the table, "Idiots!" As he stormed out of his private lab, "This isn't supposed to happen yet."  
  
'Maybe I should turn myself in, get the shot and try again,' Ed thought to himself. 'What are you nuts, you won't get a second chance and you know it,' he saw a door and ran towards it, "Can't believe I'm arguing with myself." He reached the door, "Okay, Tate, its do or die now." He turned his head and heard voices coming down the hall. He heard one of the voices say that he was spotted on the thermal imaging. Ed looked around and saw the camera, "Damn."  
  
He pushed the door opened and sprinted out into the open. He made it to a line of trees before dropping to the ground in pain. He held his head in his hands to keep his head from exploding. But now he was starting to feel something else inside his head, a presence, someone or something was trying to take over his mind. Before the pain could subside men came out and yelled for Ed to stop.  
  
Ed looked at them and grunted. He forced himself to his feet and took off running behind the trees. He heard the shots, but didn't look back. He made it out to the driveway and found a few cars. He took off his lab coat, wrapped his arm in it and smashed the window. Using the lab coat again to brush off any glass from the seat, he sat down and turned the wheel sharply to the right with all his strength to unlock the wheel. He shifted over to the passenger side and kicked at the plastic covering under the steering wheel. The plastic fell off but not before another sharp pain pierced through his head. He gasped and panted for air as he clutched his head.   
  
They were coming for him and Arnaud was with them. Ed could hear his distinct shouts. His time was short and he had to move faster. He shifted back over to the driver's seat and took the wires in his hand. He found the loose one and touched it to the other three. The car started. Ed released the loose wire and put the car in gear. He laughed and sped off just as Arnaud and his men turned the corner.  
  
Ed looked in the rear view mirror and smiled, "Well, what do you know, that did work." Now the next step was for him to calm down. It was bad enough that there was no key in the ignition and the plastic cover was off, but he was driving the car invisible. Ed chuckled to himself as he thought of how he would explain that to a cop or he could always keep silent and let the cop think no one was there.  
  
A guard raised his gun to fire. Arnaud pushed his gun down, "What are you doing you idiot? If you fire and hit the gas tank, I will lose the gland." He looked in the direction that Ed went, "Besides, he did exactly what I hoped he would do, just not this soon." Arnaud walked back into his house and the guards looked at each other bewildered.   
  
When Ed felt that he wasn't being followed, he pulled the car over and stopped behind shrubs to conceal him. He put his hands on his lap and tried to calm down. But with quicksilver madness lingering close by, it wasn't easy. Finally, after a couple of tries and a few bouts of pain, the quicksilver shed from his body. Ed for the first time got a clear glance at madness when he looked in the rear view mirror and saw his eyes streaked with red, "Oh God!" Ed felt his heart speeding up again. "Oh shit! Not now!" He looked around and closed his eyes again. He summoned up every bit of strength and pushed the demon back. His heart slowed and he peered into the mirror again. His eyes were back to normal.   
  
"Okay, now just stay calm," Ed looked around for any road signs, "Okay, calm…just stay calm…where the hell am I?" Ed said irritated. He hit the steering wheel and then searched the car for a map, there was none. "Just my damn luck," He got out of the car and ran his hand through his hair as he walked towards the road, "I have no frickin' idea where I'm at." Ed grabbed his head as another wave of pain hit him. He fell to the desert floor on his knees. As the pain subsided he grabbed a bunch of dirt in his hand and tossed it into the wind, "Damn you, Arnaud!" He slowly rose to his feet and got back in the car. He pulled out and headed down the road again away from Arnaud. He needed to find a phone booth or someone to tell him where he was.  
  
Ed passed a road sign; he was on Lyons Valley Road and headed west. He was just a short distance from Indian Springs. He saw a gas station and pulled over.   
  
Ed found a phone booth. He picked up the receiver and paused, "No, I can't, he has the phone bugged, and he'll trace it back here. I have to get to the Agency." Panic stricken, he ran from the phone booth. He went inside the gas station and went up to the counter; he hoped his eyes weren't red.  
  
The cashier looked at him suspiciously, "Can I help you?"  
  
"I'm lost, uhmm…can you tell me how to get to San Diego?" Ed said trying to stay calm.  
  
"Sure mister, you're about 27 minutes away."   
  
Ed nearly dropped to the floor. He had been thirty minutes away from San Diego the whole time. He put his hands on the counter to steady himself.  
  
"You okay?" The man asked.  
  
"Yeah, just didn't realize how close I was." Ed said.  
  
"Well, just follow Indian Springs Drive to Campo Road and make a left. That'll take you to CA-94 West. You'll stay on that for about ten miles. When you reach 30th Street, take that exit to Broadway and go to the right and stay on that for about two miles and it'll take you straight into San Diego." The man looked at Ed oddly for a moment, "Mister, you don't look too well, you sure you want to drive?"  
  
"I have to get to San Diego," Ed said fighting back the madness.  
  
"Well, alright then, do you want me to write the directions down?" The man still wasn't sure what was going on with the stranger.  
  
Ed shook his head, "No, thanks, I can remember." Ed turned on his heels and went to the car. At least no cops were around to see him stagger to his car like a drunk. He got back inside the car; he glanced back and saw that a couple of people were looking at him. Ed smiled and waved, "Please don't call the cops." He pulled out and started his trip back to San Diego. Would he make it in time before the demon took over? He knew what awaited him back at the Agency if he didn't, the white padded room.  
  
But a strange urge started in him, a craving. Ed peered in the rear view mirror, a voice spoke to him from deep within, "Go back, you know what you want, he's got it."  
  
Ed wiped his face with his hand and shook his head, "No, you won't win, I won't go back. I can fight this. I must get to Claire."  
  
"You can't fight me. I'm coming."  
  
Ed stared at the road in front of him, "Concentrate, stay focused, don't listen to strange voices in your head, and stop arguing with yourself."  
  
At the Agency things were pretty quiet. Darien was in the Keep as Claire ran more tests. Sloan did research in her lab. Tom talked with Walter and Hobbes did some paper work. No one suspected that an out of control freight train headed straight towards them.  
  
TBC… 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Ed raced towards the Agency in a car he stole from a bio-terrorist and was doing all he could to win a battle that couldn't be won. He edged closer and closer to quicksilver madness as he approached the Agency.  
  
He could see the building and it was a welcome sight. But the terrible urge for counteragent was becoming overwhelming. Arnaud was right; he wanted a drug that he hadn't even tasted yet and he would do anything to get it. He knew he wouldn't find it at the Agency. There was only person who could give him what he craved and the irresistible desire to go back got stronger as each moment passed. Ed fought the urge with all his being and swung the car around into the back parking lot smashing it head first into the back wall. The air bag popped out and prevented any serious injury. Ed chuckled like a drunk, "Oops, Arnaud's going to be pissed."  
  
Ed opened the door and tumbled out of the car clutching his head. The headache was worse and he cried out in pain. After a few moments, the searing pain subsided and he gazed at himself in the side mirror. His eyes were nearly red and there was no way of pushing back the demon. He was too close for that now.  
  
"God, please…" Ed pleaded as he staggered to the double doors.   
  
Hobbes had finished his paperwork and had gone to check on Claire and Darien. Both were hungry and he had left to get something for Claire and Darien to eat. Claire had stepped out to get equipment for another test leaving a curious Darien to get into anything that caught his eye in the Keep.   
  
Tom headed for the Keep to see how Darien was doing with the tests. He figured that Darien could use the support. Sloan was almost done with her research and she would join Tom in the Keep to check on Darien's progress.  
  
Outside, Ed reached the double doors. He pulled the doors opened and tumbled to the floor. Sweat poured from his face, his usual fluff of brown hair was now matted to his scalp. Ed breathed heavily and a soft plea escaped his lips, barely audible, "Someone, help." He crawled along the floor and finally reached the wall. Pain raced through his head and an inner voice kept begging to be let out. Ed tried desperately to push that voice back deep inside one more time, but failed. He knew now it was only a matter of time before he lost the battle.  
  
Tom walked towards the Keep when he sensed a strong presence. Curious, he walked closer. He froze in his tracts when he read the electrical impulses and knew right away that someone was in trouble. Tom ran down the hall as fast as he could. The impulses got stronger as well as conflicting emotions, a feeling of urgency, fear started to give way to hate and anger. At first he thought it was Darien, but the impulses he sensed were human.  
  
Tom turned the corner and down the hall he saw someone struggling to get to his feet. He was close enough to read the signature of the human. His eyes widened, "Ed?"  
  
Ed looked up and saw Tom, he held out his hand and pushed himself using the wall as support, "Tom, help."  
  
Tom caught a glimpse of the eyes and ran towards Ed, "What happened?"   
  
In an agitated voice, Ed replied, "Get Claire." Ed fell into Tom's arms, through gritted teeth he repeated his plea, "Damn it…just get Claire! I don't have much time, only she can help," Ed was barely able to finish his sentence when another seizure hit. Ed's back arched in agony and his eyes squeezed shut, "Augghh." Ed groaned in misery as he clutched the back of his neck. His faced strained in torment.   
  
Tom sensed the internal struggle that Ed was having. It was as if he was competing with a beast for control of his own mind. "Ed?" Tom said as he tried to help his friend. Then as quickly as the seizure started, it stopped. Ed's body relaxed. Tom thought that he had passed out, there was a calmness that he could sense, but it wasn't the same emotion that characterizes Ed. This was a cold emotion. Ed had lost to the beast within.  
  
"Ed?" Tom said again.  
  
"You should have done what I asked, Tom, because now," Ed opened his eyes, lifted his head, a cruel smile was on his face.   
  
Tom nearly dropped Ed; he wasn't prepared to look into the eyes of a mad man. Cold blood colored eyes pierced into the soul the stoic dominant. Tom was nearly in a trance, the face wasn't even Ed's, and the voice, cold and malicious.  
  
Ed slowly moved away and like a predator, rose to his feet. His smile never changed, he completed his sentence in the same ominous voice, "I'll have to kill YOU!" Ed charged at Tom.  
  
An agency agent heard the threat and ran to see what was happening. He came around the corner and saw Tom fighting with someone. "Hey!" The agent yelled.  
  
Ed stopped and tossed Tom across the hall and up against the wall. Tom hit his head and slumped to the floor. Ed turned to face the agent, "What the hell do you want?"  
  
The agent pulled out his gun and aimed it at Ed, "Stop, don't move."  
  
"Oh yeah," Ed said malevolently and let the quicksilver flow. The agent stood there transfixed not sure what to do and before he could finally react, he was thrown up against the wall. Ed whispered in the agent's ear, "Time for you to go nighty night." Ed pulled him by the collar and his hair, slammed him into the wall head first successfully knocking out the agent.  
  
Ed reappeared and laughed cruelly at the man on the floor, "You just gotta love this! I'm kicking some ass today!" He turned his head around and glared at Tom.   
  
Stunned, Tom watched as Ed reappeared, 'He can go invisible too.' Tom wondered how this happened to Ed as he rose to his feet and put his hands up, "Ed, stop. I don't want to fight you."  
  
Ed laughed again and held his arms out to his side, "But Tom, I do. I'm in the mood to see blood, yours in particular." Ed made his arms disappear and he looked at Tom emotionless, "Are you ready for a magic trick, Tom? I know you'll love this one." Ed approached Tom, "Do dominants even like magic tricks?" He asked as he cocked his head to one side.  
  
Tom stood his ground trying to figure out what Ed was up to. He found out.  
  
Ed smiled, "Keep your eyes on the hands cause where they go no one knows." Ed chuckled wickedly, "Oh I forgot, mine are invisible." He made his left hand reappear and caught Tom of guard.   
  
Tom was distracted by Ed's reappearing left hand that he forgot about the other one. Ed connected with a sound punch to the face that sent Tom falling to the ground. Ed reached down and picked Tom off the floor roughly and tossed him against the wall face first.  
  
Tom turned quickly to counter with a punch of his own, but he didn't connect and his motion sent him to the ground. Tom looked around and heard a disembodied laugh, "Did you really think I'd give you a fair fight?"   
  
Sloan was on her way to the Keep when she heard the familiar voice, but it didn't sound right, "Was that Darien?" She mumbled and decided to investigate. She hurried her steps towards the sounds, 'Sounds like someone's fighting,' she thought to herself.  
  
Sloan turned the corner and nearly tripped over her own feet from what she saw. Tom was fighting with Darien, 'Oh no, Darien's at it again.' She approached closer, "Darien!?!"  
  
Ed had Tom pinned up against the wall. His hands were around the shorter man's neck and his feet dangled a few inches off the floor. Ed didn't turn to look at her, he sneered, "Wrong, Sloan."  
  
Sloan stood there for a moment and realized that it wasn't Darien; it was Ed. "Ed? But," she heard Ed growl like an animal. The shock wore off and she yelled, "Ed, STOP!"   
  
Ed turned his head and glared at Sloan.  
  
She took a step back and nearly fainted, her eyes wide in horror when those eyes glared at her, "Oh my God." Sloan regained her composure and took a timid step towards Ed. "Let him go, Ed. We'll get Claire and she'll help you."  
  
Ed laughed, "Yeah, that's a good idea, get Claire and the three of us can have a real good time. But at the moment, I'm a little busy right now. So, be a nice girl and just wait, I'm… almost…done," Ed's words trailed out slowly as his grip got tighter around Tom's neck.  
  
Tom continued to struggle, but Ed was stronger than he expected. The adrenaline rush in Ed gave him the strength of a dominant. He heard Sloan's voice and he wanted to tell her to get away, but the only sound that came out was grunts. His world grew darker.  
  
Sloan could see that Tom wasn't going to last much longer. "Ed please, just let him go!" She put her hands on Ed's shoulder. Ed shrugged her off.  
  
Darien stopped toying with the beakers, the feeling inside him was too strong for him to ignore. For the past few minutes he hadn't felt right, his gut had been telling him something's wrong. He had shrugged it off thinking that he was starting to act paranoid like Hobbes, but the feeling grew in intensity. He got up and just walked out the Keep when he bumped into Claire. A look of desperation spread across his face. The feeling was stronger outside the Keep.   
  
"Darien, you okay?"  
  
"Get the tranq gun and meet me at the back door."  
  
"The tranq gun? Why"  
  
Darien shot Claire a stern look, "Trust me."   
  
Claire watched as Darien ran down the hall. She went inside the Keep and went to her drawer to prepare the tranquilizer gun.  
  
Ed released Tom and he fell to the floor in a heap. Ed turned his attention to Sloan, "You want to know something, Sloan? I'm so tired of hearing you whine." Ed approached Sloan with his hand raised, he looked as if he was about to strike her.  
  
Sloan closed her eyes waiting for the pain, but instead her head was pulled back by her hair. When she opened her eyes, Ed was leaning down close to her, grinning, "We're going to have some fun now, Sloan."  
  
Sloan just stared into the eyes of the man she had once known. They were hypnotizing, the crimson color blazing with anger and hatred.  
  
Ed didn't say a word as he slowly moved his finger down her shirt. He could feel how heavy Sloan's breath was against his cheek.   
  
"Please, Ed, don't do this," Sloan pleaded with him. She felt him pull tighter on her hair and she cried out in pain, "Please, Ed, you're hurting me!"  
  
"Shut up! You think I care, you think I give a damn after all those years you took me for granted!?! You and Tom took credit for stopping Dr. Copeland when I was the one that helped *YOU* with the vaccine. I found the region where the dominants came from, but who took the credit? YOU! You took credit for everything I did and now, it's time to pay the piper, my dear."   
  
Ed pulled harder on Sloan's hair, "I loved you, Sloan. I wanted to be more than friends." Ed took a glance at Tom, "Then he had to come into your life," Ed turned his attention back to Sloan, "Now I'm gonna show you what you passed up." He roughly pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers.   
  
Sloan tried to struggle, but his hold on her was too strong. Making him angry was not in her plan either. Something was obviously wrong with Ed and she would just have to hope that help would arrive in time.  
  
Ed broke the bruising kiss and stared at Sloan's swollen red lips, "That was nice, but I think you're not really into this yet." Ed went to kiss her again when he felt a hand grab his shirt.  
  
"Let her go, Ed."   
  
Ed's smile turned to a sneer, "I reeeeaallly hate being interrupted!" As Ed turned to face Tom, a fist sent him staggering backwards towards the wall. Ed looked at Tom and wiped the blood from his mouth. He smiled and then turned his attention to Sloan, "Don't go anywhere, Sloan. There's another part of you I want to taste," Ed gave her a wink.   
  
Tom looked at Sloan, "Run, Sloan, get out of here." Tom watched as Sloan ran down the hall.  
  
"Aw come on, Tom, you're a real party pooper. Time to finish what I started." Ed let the quicksilver flow and he lunged at Tom. Ed quickly got him in a head lock and shed the quicksilver, "Good bye, Tom."   
  
Sloan turned the corner and saw Darien. She ran up to him, "Darien, please help."  
  
"Whoa, take it easy, Sloan, what's going on?" Darien held onto her shoulders.   
  
"It's Ed," Sloan panted.  
  
"Ed!?!" Darien looked off to the side as if in thought. He knew something was wrong. But since he was in the Keep, he was too far away for his senses to pick up exactly what was happening.  
  
"Ed's going to kill Tom, you have to help."  
  
Hobbes pulled up and saw the car that Ed drove into the wall. He pulled out his gun and walked towards the back door carefully. He pulled the double doors open and saw Darien trying to break Tom's neck. He ran towards the two men, "Fawkes, what's the matter with you!?!" Hobbes held up his gun and aimed it at Darien, "Stop it right now, Fawkes!"  
  
Ed shrugged Hobbes off, "Damn, when are you people ever going to learn?" Ed let Tom fall to the floor again and slowly rose to his full height. He turned and glared at Hobbes.  
  
Hobbes stared at the red eyed maniac in front of him. "Ed?" He asked in a surprised tone.  
  
Ed smiled, "Hello, Hobbes. How'd you know it was me?"   
  
Hobbes took a step back when he saw the red eyes, "Well, for starters, Fawkes doesn't smell like a walking ad for Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion."  
  
Ed laughed, "That's a good one." He approached Hobbes slowly.  
  
"I don't know why you've got the red eye thing goin', but Claire can help you." Hobbes tried to distract Ed from going after Tom. He kept his gun aimed at Ed.  
  
"What makes you think I want help? I feel just fine and quite happy." Ed approached Hobbes like a predator tracking his prey. He especially paid close attention to the gun in Hobbes hand. Ed quickly played out a plan in his mind to retrieve the second gun he knew Hobbes carried.  
  
"I'm sure you do, but this isn't you," Hobbes scoffed internally as he saw himself with all his own mental short comings, trying to reason with a mad man who didn't care about anyone's life, including his own.  
  
"Ah…but you see, this is me, at least an uninhibited version of Ed Tate. Come on, Hobbes," Ed put his hands up like a boxer, "You know you want to fight me. You've wanted to ever since I first slept with Claire." Ed smiled, "Man to man, mono e mono."   
  
Darien came around the corner and saw Ed, "Ed, stop!" Sloan ran to Tom's side.  
  
Ed heard Darien's voice. He turned around and had his back to Hobbes, "Well, hello brah. Look at what I can do." The quicksilver flowed over Ed and in an instant, he was invisible.   
  
Sloan covered her mouth, "Oh my God!"  
  
Hobbes checked the agent for a pulse. Satisfied that he was only knocked out, he stood up again and kept his gun ready. The best thing for him to do now was to let Darien handle this. But if things got out of hand, he would use it to stop Ed from killing anyone or getting away.  
  
Darien had seen the scarlet eyes and when Ed disappeared he knew for sure that Ed had been implanted with a gland. He quicksilvered his eyes and saw the blue ghost like figure that waved at him.   
  
"Ohhhhh crap."  
  
"So, what you do think, pretty cool huh? Now I guess we really are twins, well apart from you being a dominant," Ed said as he approached Darien. "Bet you're wondering what happened?"  
  
"Yeah, that is the main question on my mind," Darien moved forward and then the men circled around each other like two boxers in the ring assessing each other.  
  
"Well, you can thank your friend Arnaud for this one," Ed said.  
  
Darien stopped, "Arnaud? But…how? You were in Atlanta."  
  
Ed jeered at Darien's remark, "I never made it to Atlanta," Ed's arms flared outward, "In fact, Mr. Secret Agent Man, I never made it on the damn plane!" Darien felt the anger coming off of Ed. "Where the hell where you, Darien? You let him do this to me!!" Ed yelled.   
  
"No, that isn't true. You know if we had known…" Darien was interrupted.  
  
"You're the big hero that's supposed to rush in and save the day, but you didn't. None of you did, now I'm living in hell and it's your fault. Weren't your little toys supposed to keep me safe?" Ed moved closer to Darien.  
  
Claire turned the corner and saw Darien as he walked around in a circle. Sloan was attending to Tom who seemed to be in bad shape. "Darien, what is…" Claire was interrupted.  
  
"Ah, look the pretty Keeper is here."  
  
Claire looked at Darien quizzically.  
  
"Hey, don't look at me, I didn't say it," Darien said innocently.  
  
Ed shook off the quicksilver and reappeared in a silvery shower. Claire stared in shock as she took in the sight of Ed and his glaring crimson eyes.  
  
"Oh bloody hell," Claire exclaimed as she held the tranq gun in her hand.  
  
Hobbes held up his hands and looked at Ed, "Easy there, doc. We're gonna take care of you now."  
  
"Easy? What are you nuts?" Ed laughed, "Oh yeah, you are, aren't you?" He turned his attention on Claire, "What you going to do with that? Shoot me? Teach me how I can trust you, roll over, play dead, do tricks for the government, you know your basic slave crap."  
  
"Ed, Claire just wants to help," Darien tried to reason with Ed, but knew it wasn't going to do any good.  
  
"Help? I don't think so. I like the new and improved me."   
  
Darien tried to reach into Ed's mind. 'Ed, I know what you're going through. Just let Claire help you. You can trust her,' Darien moved towards Ed.  
  
Everyone watched as Ed seemed to stand still as if he was hypnotized. Darien inched closer. 'That's it, Ed, you're doing good,' he kept talking to Ed as he moved closer carefully.   
  
Ed continued to stand motionless, staring off into space as if in a trance. Darien was nearly arms length away when Ed lunged forward and knocked Darien to the ground. He wasn't expecting Ed to use his body like a line backer. Ed set his sights on Claire and headed straight for her.  
  
"Claire!" Darien yelled.  
  
Claire raised the tranq gun as Ed approached her. She saw the blazing speed that Ed was coming towards her. She wondered if she would get the shot off in time.   
  
Darien yelled again as he scrambled to his feet, "Claire! Shoot!"  
  
Hobbes raised his gun and took aim.  
  
Sloan screamed, "NOOOO!"  
  
The sound of a gun made Darien stop and he watched as Ed stopped, mumbled something then fell to the hard floor just inches from Claire. He took a quick glance at Hobbes who lowered a smoking gun.  
  
TBC…. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Ed grunted at the pain and knew what had happened, he stared at Claire in shock, "Damn, my wahine shot me," he fell to the ground as the sedative took effect.   
  
Claire looked at Darien and lowered the tranq gun. Darien turned again and looked at Hobbes who shrugged his shoulders, "I wasn't sure if Claire was going to get the shot off so I fired a warning shot." From the corner of his eye, Darien saw the hole in the wall and rolled his eyes. Sloan sighed in relief.   
  
Ed lay unconscious on the ground. Claire rolled him over and took the dart out of his chest. She stared at Darien with sadness on her face. Claire didn't have to say anything to Darien nor did he have to read her mind. Her eyes alone said enough. He nodded, "I'll take care of him. Tom needs you and I think that other guy over there could use some help too."   
  
Darien paused and with his brow creased, quizzically looked at Claire, "Wahine?"  
  
Claire shook her head as she tried to concentrate on what was going on and Darien's question, "It means 'woman, female or girl'. It's this slang language that Hawaiians speak," she shrugged her shoulders and trembled slightly as she forced a smile.  
  
"He would know that," Darien said with a smirk.  
  
The Official and Eberts came down the hall. "What's all the commotion here and who fired their weapon?" The Official took in the scene before him. Tom on the ground being attended to by Sloan, Claire attending to an unconscious agent and to his surprise, Ed laying on the ground, "What's he doing here?" he said as he pointed to him.  
  
Darien glared at the Official. He turned Ed's head and lifted an eyelid to reveal a very red eye.  
  
The Official gasped, "What happened?"  
  
"I don't know, but he has a gland and all the wonderful benefits that come with it." Darien took Ed in his arms and lifted him up. He glared at the Official, "You know where to find us."  
  
"Darien, take him to the Keep and restrain him, I need to run some tests first," Claire said. Her stomach was all in knots, she could barely thing straight. Darien nodded to let her know that he understood. She would have to keep Ed sedated, but the tests were necessary if she was going to have any chance of helping him.  
  
The Official watched as Darien walked down the hall with Hobbes trailing behind him. He turned to Claire, "Do you know anything about this?"  
  
Claire looked up from attending to the agent, "No."  
  
"He said that he never made it to Atlanta and that Arnaud put the gland in," Sloan added.  
  
Claire looked at her in shock, "What? But I talked to him every night." She got up to check on Tom.  
  
"Doctor, will the old counteragent work?" The Official asked.  
  
"Uhmm, I'm not sure, I could try, but it'll take time to make a batch. I don't even know if I still have all the components." Claire looked at Tom and then at Sloan, "Are you okay, he didn't hurt you did he?"  
  
Sloan looked down, "No, almost, but Tom stopped him. Is he going to be alright?"  
  
"Yes, Tom will be fine," Claire said reassuringly.  
  
"No, Claire, she wants to know if Ed will be alright," Tom said hoarsely.   
  
Claire shot them a worried look. That was enough of an answer for them. Tom struggled to get to his feet. Sloan protested, "Tom, don't get up."  
  
"I'm alright now. He's pretty strong, like a dominant, I didn't expect that kind of strength from him." Tom said as he slowly rose to his feet.  
  
"It's the adrenaline rush while in the stages of quicksilver madness," Claire stated as she went back to the agent.  
  
"Like when someone gets the strength to lift a car off of someone?" Sloan asked.  
  
"Yes, he could have easily killed you, Tom," Claire said.   
  
"He almost did," Tom said looking at Sloan. He was holding back his anger. The instinct in him wanted to take off after Ed and get revenge for what almost happened. But he was able to push that feeling back down inside. This wasn't the only time Ed stood up to him and challenged him. Ed didn't back down the first time either. Tom had wanted to attack Ed for challenging his loyalty. He had seen the look in Ed's eyes, they would have fought right there in the lab if Sloan hadn't been there to stop them.  
  
Sloan saw it in Tom's eyes, "Tom, please, it's not his fault, he didn't know what he was doing…he couldn't control himself."   
  
"Sloan, I know that's something Ed wouldn't do. He cares too much about you, the last thing he would do is hurt you. I'm okay, I won't hurt him. I'm sorry I punched him, but I had to stop him," Tom said as he hugged Sloan.  
  
"It wasn't his fault…it wasn't his fault…" Sloan repeated out loud as she started to cry.  
  
Claire looked up at Eberts, "I need some personnel to take this agent to lab four so I can have a better look at him."  
  
"Yes, doctor," Eberts pulled out his cell phone to contact some more agents. It looked like it would be a long day and night at the Agency, again.  
  
~*~  
  
An hour later, Darien and Hobbes had gone out to look for Arnaud. Tom agreed to stay at the Agency. Ray had come back in to help out. Walter was in his office calling his superior. Claire and Sloan looked at the MRI's and the CT scan taken on Ed using the state of the art equipment that Walter had sent to the Agency. It was a nice perk and Claire enjoyed having it all available at her convenience. But right now, she would have gladly turned it all in to have Ed back. "It's a gland alright," Claire announced sullenly.  
  
"Can you take it out?" Sloan asked.  
  
"No…not without killing him. Like Darien, his body has developed a dependency on the gland and the macroganglias have intertwined with his cerebral cortex." Claire turned and looked at the sedated figure restrained to the dental like chair.   
  
"What about the counteragent that the Official spoke of? Will it work on Ed too?"  
  
"I'm waiting for the blood test results to come back. If the toxin is different then the old counteragent will not be effective. I'm hoping that Ed has some residual counteragent in his system. I might be able to synthesize it if I can break it down..." Claire stared down at the floor as she scratched the back of her head.  
  
A moan from the chair stopped the conversation short. Claire and Sloan shot each other worried looks and Claire quickly walked to the counter to get another sedative ready. Sloan approached Ed cautiously.   
  
His hands started to move in the restraints and another moan came out of him. Ed's eyes opened. "Ed," Sloan called him in a soft tone.  
  
Ed lifted his head and glared at her. "Let me go," he commanded, his nostrils flared as he breathed heavily through them.  
  
"I'm sorry, I can't do that."  
  
Ed struggled in the restraints, "Damn it! I said…let me go."  
  
The intercom blared and Sloan turned her head. Ed took advantage of the distraction and froze the restraints. They broke with ease and he grabbed Sloan by her throat, "Got'cha."  
  
Claire turned around at the same moment Ed broke free. He slid off the reclined chair with Sloan still in his grip. Claire hid the syringe behind her. "Ed, let her go."  
  
"And then what, Claire, have her run like a baby to Tom or Darien. No, I don't think so. The three of us are….auughhh!" Ed bent over in pain and fell to his knees. Sloan and Claire looked at him and then at each other.  
  
Sloan kept her distance. Claire grabbed the syringe and took timid steps towards Ed. He rocked back and forth on his knees moaning as he clutched his head. "Augghh, make it stop," Ed moaned.  
  
Claire touched his back and he looked up at her. The anger in his eyes was replaced with pain. "What's wrong, Ed?"  
  
"God, I need it so bad," Ed grabbed Claire, glared at her and snarled, "Give it to me."  
  
"Okay," Claire plunged the syringe into his arm and pressed on the plunger. Ed slapped her, "Bitch! That wasn't counteragent." He tried to get up, but the sedative took effect quickly and he fell over onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned over him. She rocked him like a mother with a sleeping baby in her arms.  
  
Sloan went over to intercom and asked for assistance. She came back, kneeled down next to Claire and rubbed her back.  
  
Only a few seconds passed by until Ray and Tom rushed into the Keep. "What happened?" Ray asked.  
  
"Ed broke free," Sloan replied.  
  
"I should have been here," Tom said as he helped Sloan to her feet.  
  
"It's okay, Tom, he didn't hurt us. We really didn't think he'd wake up so soon."  
  
"I won't leave you ladies alone with him again." Tom bent down and helped Ray pick up Ed.  
  
"For such a skinny guy, he sure is heavy," Ray retorted as they placed Ed back on the chair. "You might want to think about getting stronger restraints." Ray noticed the mark on Claire's face, "You want some ice for that?"  
  
She shook her head, "No, I'll be fine," Claire sat down the chair. "That was odd."  
  
"What? That he broke free?" Ray asked.  
  
"No, at one point he fell over in pain and acted like a junkie who craved a drug. He was actually exhibiting withdrawal symptoms."  
  
"Didn't Darien do that?" Sloan asked.  
  
"No, not really, not to the extreme level like Ed did," she glanced at Sloan sorrowfully, "We're looking at a new form of quicksilver madness. I don't think the old counteragent will work. We're going to have to wait for Darien and Bobby."  
  
"So, what do we do in the meantime?" Ray asked.  
  
Claire looked at Ed, "We'll have to put him in the padded room. There's nothing more I can do." Claire knew that she had to separate her feelings for him and do what was best for him and their safety. Claire walked over to the intercom and asked for agents to help with taking Ed to the padded room.   
  
Sloan could hear the despair in Claire's voice and knew that she had made a hard decision. Tom walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder, "You made the right choice. You know it's what he would want."  
  
Claire shook her head, "I know, but it doesn't make it any easier."  
  
~*~  
  
Darien and Hobbes returned a short time later with no luck. They headed straight for the Keep and found it empty. Hobbes noticed that the restraints had been broken. A look of panic spread quickly across his face, he pulled out his gun. Darien put his hand on it and pushed it down, "It's okay, Hobbes, he's not in here."  
  
"Where is everyone?"  
  
"Hobbes, don't you think you're over reacting here? They've probably taken him to the padded cell…er…room."  
  
"But what about the restraints?"  
  
Darien looked at them, "Okay, so maybe you've got a point."  
  
They got halfway down the hall and Darien rolled his eyes, "Put the gun away, Hobbes, everyone's safe. Ed is in the white comfy room."  
  
Hobbes put his gun back in his holster, "I hope you're right." They walked into the observation room and saw Claire and Sloan as they went over test results. Tom stood near the window as he watched Ed sleep.  
  
Claire looked up, her eyes wide with hope, "Did you find him?"  
  
Darien and Hobbes looked at Claire, "No," they said in unison.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Did he hit you?" Hobbes asked in an angry tone.  
  
Darien grabbed his hand, "Don't shoot him."  
  
"I wasn't going to." Hobbes shrugged Darien's hand away.   
  
Claire looked down at the floor, "Yes, he did."  
  
Hobbes turned in a huff and started for the door when Darien stopped him, "Now, I'm gonna shoot him."  
  
"No, you're not," Darien stood in between the door and an angry tiger, "You know about this, what it does, how it makes him act."  
  
"But he hit Claire," Hobbes glared at Darien, "Move, Fawkes."  
  
"Yeah, well guess what, I hit Claire one time too," Darien confessed.  
  
Hobbes cocked his head to one side, "You…you did?"  
  
"Yes, I did, so if you're going to shoot Ed, then I guess you'll have to shoot me too."  
  
Claire walked up to Hobbes and put her hand on his shoulder, "It's not his fault, Bobby, and you know it. If you hurt him because of this, I'll never forgive you."  
  
Hobbes relaxed and turned to face Claire, "I'm sorry, you know how I feel and how I get."  
  
Claire smiled, "Always the protective one," she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.  
  
Hobbes turned to look at Darien, "Hey, I'm sorry, I lost control there."  
  
"It's cool," Darien gave Hobbes a low-five and turned to walk out.  
  
"Where you goin'?" Hobbes asked.  
  
Darien glanced around the room, "To talk with the other fat man." Darien left the room and headed towards Walter's office.  
  
"Was there any counteragent residue in Ed?" Sloan asked to change the atmosphere.  
  
Claire merely nodded her head, "No, Ed hasn't been injected with any counteragent yet."  
  
Sloan looked Claire in shock, "He hadn't received any yet? And he's acting like a junkie?"  
  
"Yes, which means that once he does receives counteragent, the next time could be worse," Claire looked away  
  
"What can we do?" Sloan said as she rubbed her hands across her arms.  
  
"As much as I hate to say this, only Arnaud can help Ed."  
  
Sloan let out a sigh and looked at Ed through the window, "Hang in there, Ed, please."  
  
~*~  
  
Darien stormed into Walter's office, "You stonewalled me before. Now I think I need to know. What do you know about Arnaud?"  
  
Walter leaned back in his chair and tapped his pencil on his desk, "Okay, the current situation with Ed warrants that I tell you. I was sent to Whitney University to watch a young geneticist who might fit the requirements for the Quicksilver Project."  
  
"Let me guess, a young geneticist surfer by the name of Ed Tate?" Darien said.  
  
"Yes," Walter answered with a slight smile. He suddenly remembered when he saw the young man for the first time. Not what you would call a typical scientist, dressed in khaki pants, hiking boots, a white t-shirt underneath a Hawaiian style print shirt and long hair. Walter had to double check the ID on the young man to make sure he was talking with Dr. Tate. He quickly realized that the casual dress fit the personality of Ed. If this scientist was as brilliant as he had heard, he would be a breath of fresh air at the desert compound.  
  
Walter continued his story, "I had watched him for two years and others like him,"  
  
"Arnaud?" Darien asked.  
  
"I didn't know him, Darien. I only knew of him. Kevin is the one that knew him. He's the one that ultimately recommended Arnaud for the project. I was only supposed to recommend a geneticist," Walter added.  
  
"So, why didn't you recommend Ed? What he wasn't that brilliant?"  
  
"No, not at all, I did recommend him," Walter said.  
  
"So, what happened?"  
  
"Ann Coulter was murdered and Sloan discovered the new species. My involvement in the Project changed and I rescinded my recommendation, I wanted…needed Ed on my team." Walter leaned forward and folded his hands on his desk. He looked at Darien's expression.  
  
"Ed would have been at the compound," Darien remembered the massacre, "He would have been killed."  
  
"Yes," Walter said.  
  
"Okay, that would have been weird to have my twin there and I can only imagine how Kevin would have reacted to Ed," Darien said with a smile. "But you still haven't explained Arnaud."  
  
"With the dominant situation, I was no longer involved with the Project. The files on Arnaud de Thiel did cross my desk, but he was already accepted on the team. What else could I do, I put my stamp of approval on it."  
  
"What? How could you?" Darien asked.  
  
"The background check was done by Interpol. I had no idea who he really was. Kevin had highly recommended him and he was basically in charge of the project. I just went with Kevin on him. Darien, you have to understand, if I had known," Walter paused.  
  
"Well, it doesn't sound like the appropriate people did their research," Darien walked around and then continued, "Wait, I don't understand, you needed two years to watch Ed?"  
  
"I'm sure you know that the Project was very sensitive. We weren't about to ask just any scientist. During those two years, the field for a geneticist was narrowed down to Ed and Dr. Hartnell."  
  
Darien remembered the name, "Wait, he was at the compound."  
  
"Yes, Ed was accepted by the board overseeing the Project. But as I said before things changed. Dr. Hartnell was sent in Ed's place."  
  
"Oh crap," Darien rubbed the back of his neck, "You never told Ed did you?"  
  
"There was no reason to."  
  
"So, you knew about me?" Darien asked.  
  
"Of course," Walter smiled, "Don't take this wrong, but I was against having you brought on the Project."  
  
"No offense taken," Darien smiled. "I take it then you saw my file?"  
  
"Yes, and I saw the similarity between you and Ed. It was quite amazing at first," Walter paused, "If you're wondering if I know where Arnaud is, I don't. I'm sorry, Darien. How is Ed doing?"  
  
"Flying over the cuckoo's nest first class," Darien started to leave when Walter spoke.  
  
"Where are you going to look for Arnaud?"  
  
"I don't know. I didn't have any luck before, I hope it changes." Darien walked out and went back to the observation room.  
  
Walter sighed and picked up his phone.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed hated the straightjacket. He hated the feeling of confinement, it meant that he had no control and this irritated him the most. He struggled against the worn straps, rotating his shoulders in circles desperately seeking the slack he desired. But it was no use; he stopped the struggle and glared around the room panting from his exertion.  
  
He remembered the fight, his hands gripped tightly around Tom's neck. A smile spread across his face, he was so close to killing him, but Claire had to show up with her tranq gun and ruin the party. The dart had found its way into his body and released its black magic in him. He awoke in purgatory, the white padded cell with its soft walls and floors.   
  
The smile disappeared as he remembered who shot him, Claire. He then remembered the Keep and how he begged for counteragent, but Claire had tricked him…again. How could she do this to him? Ed leaned up against the wall to test the thickness of the padding. He walked around keeping his face close to the wall as he tried to feel for any weaknesses.   
  
"What's he doing?" Sloan asked looking at Darien.  
  
"What? Why you asking me? I never did anything like that," Darien said in defense of himself, "Just because I've gone cuckoo for coca puffs doesn't mean he'll do the same wacko things I did."  
  
Sloan shook her head, "No, I meant can you read his mind?"  
  
"Oh…" Darien looked at Ed for a moment, "Actually I'm having a hard time, like earlier when I thought I had him under control but didn't. I can only sense his emotions."  
  
Sloan thought for a moment. "Must be different impulses or something is blocking you from reading his mind."  
  
"It might be the toxin that's causing quicksilver madness. It's masking him somehow from Darien," Tom added.  
  
"Interesting," Sloan said as she smiled at Tom.  
  
"Or it could be the quicksilver in his brain tissue that's causing…" Claire was interrupted by a sudden movement in the padded room.  
  
As they talked, Ed needed to be free to get what he wanted. Counteragent. He backed himself to the far wall and took a charging run at the window.  
  
"Look out!" Hobbes yelled.  
  
Ed hit the glass head first. For this grand effort, he received a nice cut on his forehead and promptly knocked himself out.  
  
"Oh my God!" Claire exclaimed as she ran from the room. Sloan followed quickly behind her with Tom hot on her heels.  
  
"Well that's something you don't see everyday," Hobbes said as he looked at the blood on the glass.  
  
"I did, once, when I worked the streets. Damn drunks do the strangest things. Had one run full speed into the wall, thought he was Superman." Ray said.  
  
"You know, I've seen stuff like that," Hobbes added.  
  
Darien rolled his eyes and tapped Hobbes on his shoulder, "Come on, let's see if we can't find that Swiss Miss mutha…" Darien dragged Hobbes out of the room. They went to their office to put Hobbesnet to work. Darien would check on Ed later.  
  
~*~  
  
Again he awoke. Ed didn't know how long he was out. He felt something wrapped around his head. He suspected that the good doctor had come in and put in a few stitches, bandaged him up and quickly left the room.  
  
"Miss Blondie was here, hmm…" he felt the bandage on his head and smiled, "Too bad I was out, I could have paid for her services with something special."   
  
His head hurt, but he didn't care, in fact it felt good.   
  
He sauntered up to the glass and yelled, "GET THIS DAMN THING OFF!"   
  
He growled in frustration as he continued to struggle with the restraints.   
  
"Well, I guess a concussion is out of the question so far." Sloan stated.  
  
"It looks that way." Claire didn't know how long she had watched him. Time seemed to stand still for her and the others in the observation room. They watched him through the one way mirror.   
  
"What stage is he in, doctor?" The Official asked coldly.  
  
Claire didn't even bother to look at him when she answered, "I would guess at the tail end of stage three and going into stage four."  
  
Hobbes stood next to Claire and watched "What can be done for him?"  
  
"Well, since the old counteragent won't work, we have to wait and hope," Claire stopped when she noticed that two very bright ruby colored eyes stared right into her.   
  
"Hey, Claire, I know you're in there. I can hear your heart beating." He put his forehead to the glass and a malevolent smile came across his face, "Thump-thump, thump-thump."  
  
Darien put his hand on Claire's shoulder to console her, "What can we do to help him?"  
  
Claire regained her composure and looked at Darien with tears in her eyes, "We uhmm, have to wait and hope that you can find Arnaud and get counteragent for Ed."  
  
"Hey, Claire, baby."  
  
Claire turned and looked into the crimson colored eyes; she missed the soft brown eyes. "Yes, I'm here," Claire said into the microphone.  
  
"I have an itch that needs scratchin'," Ed got real close to the window and wiggled his brow, "If you're too busy you can send in Sloan." He started to laugh.  
  
"Okay," Hobbes turned to Darien, "Let's go find Arnaud; this is way more than what I want to hear."  
  
Darien looked at Claire, "I'll find him."  
  
"Please," Claire said frantically. "I can't stand seeing him like this."  
  
"I'm not thrilled with seeing the dark side of Ed either," Darien said as he looked at Ed through the glass. It was all too eerily familiar.  
  
Sloan watched the two leave. She turned her attention to Claire who had turned off the microphone. Ed was on the floor again, writhing and crying out in pain. His withdrawal episodes were coming closer together and more intense each time. Claire felt so helpless.  
  
"Can we give him methadone to help with the withdrawals?" Sloan asked.  
  
"This is so different from what Darien experienced." Claire looked at Sloan, "I'll have to get some, I don't keep that around." She turned and left the Keep. Claire was halfway down the hall when she leaned up against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor.   
  
Walter came around the corner and saw her. He went up to her, "I take it Ed isn't doing well."  
  
Claire looked up, "I don't know what to do for him." Walter held out his hand and she took it, she stood up and leaned up against the wall again, but this time for support. "This is so different, Walter. He's going through withdrawals like an addict and he hasn't even had counteragent yet. If he goes quicksilver mad again, I have no idea how he'll react once he's had a taste of counteragent."  
  
Walter looked at Claire and sighed, "Provided that Darien can find Arnaud and get the counteragent to Ed in time."  
  
Claire glared at Walter, "He will find Arnaud, I have to believe that." Claire studied Walter for a moment, his words sunk in, "No, no you wouldn't!"  
  
"Claire, I'm sorry, I've been ordered, just like Mr. Borden has his orders. If Darien does not find Arnaud, the gland must be removed."  
  
Claire stood back in shock, "How could you even think of doing such a thing? The Official I can understand, but you, you worked along side Ed for all these years. How could you betray him like this?"  
  
"It's not betrayal, Claire. You have to remove the feelings you have for him. Do you think that Ed would want to stay like this? You know as well as I do that he will come to a stage that counteragent won't work."  
  
"We don't know that!" Claire yelled, "I won't let you kill him!"  
  
"Is this what Ed would want, to live like he is now?"  
  
Claire stared down the hall towards the padded room. Tears welled up in her eyes.  
  
Walter put his hands on her shoulders, "I'm prepared to spare him from this. Are you?"  
  
Claire looked into Walter's eyes, "You've been ordered to do the harvesting procedure haven't you?"  
  
"Yes," Walter answered sadly.  
  
"Answer this for me."  
  
Walter nodded, "If you want to know if I would do it humanely then yes. Ed won't be alive when I harvest the gland."  
  
"You'd give him a lethal injection first," Claire stated more as a comment.  
  
"It's the least I could do for him."  
  
"Bastard! You don't care do you? It's all about the gland. You've already decided on how to kill him instead of trying to figure out how to save him!" Claire ran down the hall and away from Walter.  
  
"The saving part is up to Darien." Walter continued his journey to the padded room.   
  
TBC… 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
Walter walked into the padded room. Ed sat Indian style on the floor with his head down. "Hello, Ed."  
  
Ed smiled, he slowly raised his head. Walter straightened up slightly when he saw Ed's eyes.  
  
"So, you finally decided to see the freakazoid for yourself," Ed commented as he rose to his feet. His body had broken out in a sweat and his muscles trembled. "What do you think you know, Walter?" Ed sang his words.  
  
Walter stood in the middle of the room as Ed walked erratically around him. "Darien and Hobbes are out trying to find Arnaud," Walter said.  
  
"I hope they find him. I really need it bad you know." Ed stopped behind Walter and whispered in his ear, "Tell me something, Walter. You found Sloan, Tom and me in a Mexican desert using tracking systems, satellites, you know, all that cool spy stuff. Are you using your toys to find Arnaud?"  
  
"We're doing everything we can to help find him."  
  
Ed stood in front of Walter, "Yeah, who's the 'we'? You and your…superior?" There was hate in the way Ed said 'superior'.   
  
Walter exhaled deeply, "Ed, trust me, I'm working on it."  
  
Ed walked away and turned his back on Walter, "Trust you?" Ed scoffed. "You and your superior have plans for me don't you? Or is it the gland she has plans for? And I'm sure the fat man does too." Ed turned around and hissed, "I've been manipulated by you for years, Walter. I won't be your slave."  
  
"That's not what I want."  
  
"Don't make promises you can't keep…" Ed's face contorted in pain and he fell to the floor. Walter was at his side. Ed dry heaved for a few minutes and then it passed as quickly as it came on. Ed lay on his side and stared up at Walter, "I can't take it anymore, please, I need counteragent, give it to me."  
  
"I don't have it yet," Walter said as he looked sadly at Ed.  
  
"Damn it, try harder!" Ed closed his eyes, "It hurts, Walter, it hurts. I just want to die."  
  
The words haunted Walter. His superior had just ordered him to harvest the gland if Darien did not find Arnaud by midnight. A part of him wanted to put Ed out of his misery, but the other part hoped that Darien will get a hold of counteragent. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe marked 'Sodium Pentothol'. It would be the first of three if the situation didn't change. He slid it back in his pocket and held Ed in his arms until the withdrawal seizure ended.  
  
Sloan and Tom watched from the observation room. "Tom, I can't take seeing him like this." Sloan was about to leave when Claire came in.  
  
"How is he?" Claire asked.  
  
"Getting worse, he was dry heaving just a few minutes ago," Sloan said.  
  
Claire looked and saw Walter with him. "Well, I managed to get some methadone rushed over. But it's in pill form; he'll have to swallow it."  
  
"You think he will?" Tom asked.  
  
"I'm not sure." Claire pulled out her tranq gun and handed it to Tom, "Just in case." She looked at Sloan and Tom, she was visibly shaken.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sloan asked.  
  
Claire looked up, "It's Walter, he's been ordered to harvest the gland if Darien can't find Arnaud in time."  
  
"What!?" Sloan asked. "He wouldn't do something like that."  
  
"He's already got it planned it out. He's planning on giving Ed a lethal injection like some murderer on death row," Claire said.   
  
Tom rose to full height and squared his shoulders, "We'll get Ed out of here before that happens. Do you know how much time Ed has?"  
  
"I was hoping you would say that. But I have no idea where to take Ed or when Walter plans on harvesting the gland," Claire said.  
  
"We'll think of somewhere to take Ed, but in the mean time we can't let on to what we're planning. We have to act as if it's business as usual." Sloan said shaking herself from the shock of Claire's news.  
  
"Yeah, right, in the mean time, I'll try and have Ed take this pill. I've got to find a way to come up with counteragent. If we move him, I'm going to need every bit of information I can get before hand. I may not get another chance."  
  
"I'll help you anyway I can," Sloan said as she folded her arms.   
  
"Thanks, I'm going to need it. I'm hoping that some of the components from the old counteragent will work. It might be enough to pull Ed out of the madness long enough so he can help."  
  
"Like in Alaska, when he helped with the vaccine," Sloan sounded hopeful. If Ed was able to bounce back enough to help, maybe he can do it again. Sloan looked over at Ed who seemed to be resting now. "What else can we expect during quicksilver madness?" Sloan asked as she continued to watch Ed.  
  
"With Darien it was unpredictable. Arnaud seems to have developed a new stage of quicksilver madness. The withdrawal pain for Ed seems to come in waves, like labor pains. I'm afraid they may get closer together, eventually becoming one long episode. He may even get to a stage where he doesn't crave the counteragent. That could even be stage 5, but I'm just theorizing right now. I have no intention on finding out if this is true or not, I won't put Ed through that."  
  
"If he doesn't crave the counteragent, what would happen then?" Sloan asked.  
  
"We saw a hint of that when he first arrived earlier. The only thing holding him back is the craving, once that's gone, he could be very dangerous." Claire watched as Walter left. Ed seemed to be resting, although she could see that his body was going through the wringer. "Darien went through nothing like this, although he did bark and growl at me like a dog one time," Claire said as she remembered the time when a quicksilver mad Darien ran into the Keep barking.   
  
"Will he remember any of this?" Tom asked.  
  
"Unfortunately yes, if it's the same as Darien's quicksilver madness. That's what Arnaud designed it for, so that the memory would remain." Claire looked at Ed who was just walking around in circles. "He's going to be so upset at what he's done and said. Please, be forgiving."   
  
Tom watched from the back of the room. He hoped that Darien and Hobbes will find Arnaud and get the medication that Ed needs. He didn't like seeing his friend like this at all. The worst part was that he could sense the pain Ed was going through. This is when his abilities as a dominant are a burden.   
  
Ed lay down on the soft bed. He stared up at the ceiling and wondered what the people behind the glass were doing. He decided that he really didn't care, all he wanted to do was get out of this purgatory they put him in and kill the man who did this to him. He had visions of him snapping Arnaud's neck then ripping his head off his neck. Of course after he got what he wanted, what he craved.   
  
Ed slowly stood up and went up to the glass. He tapped on the window using his head, "Ho sistah, I gotta go shi shi."  
  
"What did he say?" Sloan looked at Claire confused.  
  
"I have no idea." Claire bent down, turned on the microphone and asked Ed, "I didn't understand you, Ed. What did you want?"  
  
Ed laughed, "I gotta go shi shi, you know, I need to take a leak, hon." He looked at the straightjacket and leaned in closer to the window, "But I'll need a little help, if you know what I mean?" Ed smiled seductively.   
  
"Someone is going to help you," Claire told him.  
  
"You no like come? K, whatevahz!" Ed turned and walked away. He stopped and looked at the mirror, "Dat momona buggah hea?"  
  
"Ed, what are you saying, we don't understand you?" Claire stated confused.   
  
Ed smiled, he sauntered up to the window, "It's Pidgin, Hawaiian slang. I was asking if the fat man was here, guess he loves this scientist turned science experiment. He's probably trying to figure out how much money he can make off of me, once Darien finds the leash of course."  
  
"Ed, he wants to help you," Sloan said.  
  
"Howzit Sloan! How you stay? Wass da scoops?" Ed smiled. "Listen, you don't have to feed me that government bullshit. I can hear the money machine in his head adding up the dollars now. Only Arnaud has the counteragent and I know that Darien has left the building to find that asshole."   
  
Sloan looked at Claire, "He's really bad isn't he?"  
  
"Oh baby, you want bad? I got your bad right here," Ed sneered. "Hey Claire, you can tell Fat Bastard that I won't be a slave to him or anyone else. I told that to Walter, but in just case he doesn't get the message."  
  
Ray had walked in just in time to hear Ed, "So, this is what the dark side of the force is like."  
  
"I've never heard him talk like this before," Sloan remarked sadly.  
  
"Look, you have to understand, this isn't Ed. Once Darien returns with the counteragent, he'll be back to his old self again. I know this is hard, believe me I feel like I'm reliving the first two years with Darien all over again. But you have to separate the real Ed from the quicksilver mad Ed."  
  
Ed banged his head against the window, "Hey! Come on, I gotta piss. You put me in this damn thing, now you gotta give me a hand here."  
  
Claire pursed her lips together and looked at Tom. He raised a brow, "I don't think he wants me to help."  
  
"No, I wasn't thinking of that, I'll do it. But Tom, I want you to stand by with the tranq gun. Okay?"  
  
Tom shook his head.  
  
"Well, I did want to get a urine sample, guess this is my chance." Claire left to get a sterilized cup from the Keep.  
  
~*~  
  
"Okay so the plate on the car that Ed stole matched up to this address. But it was an abandoned building. Let's scratch that one off the list," Darien remarked as he went over the list of possibilities.   
  
"It would have to be some place big and since Ed was able to drive it can't be too far away." Hobbes retorted.  
  
"Yeah, right, like Lewis likes to have big houses. Arnaud did have that big house in Mexico and the one here. He would need a nice size room so he could operate too." Darien scanned down the list.  
  
"Check for anything outside of San Diego," Hobbes said.  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"There was dust on the car. Ed must have been out in the desert somewhere."  
  
"Oh you're good, my friend." Darien checked the leads they got from Hobbesnet. "Bingo, here's a couple. They're east of Indian Springs. About 27 minutes away from good ol' SD."  
  
"Let's give those a shot. How do we get there?"  
  
"Well, the map says to go East on 94."  
  
"Then that's where we'll go."  
  
Hobbes suddenly looked over at Darien. Darien knew that Hobbes was staring at him, he looked at him, "What?"  
  
"Speaking of the car that Ed stole, how do you suppose he knew how to hot wire it?"  
  
"Hey, don't look at me. I didn't teach him that."  
  
"Hmm…"  
  
"What does 'hmmm' mean?"  
  
"Ed's a nerd to the first degree. You tell me, did Kevin know how to hot wire cars?"  
  
"Are you implying that I'm a bad influence on Ed?"  
  
"I'm not implying anything, I'm just curious."  
  
"Curious? Well, you know what happened to the cat that was curious?"  
  
"Yes, and satisfaction brought him back, my friend."  
  
Darien looked out the window and smirked, "Well, for your information, I did not teach Ed how to hot wire a car. And he's not a nerd to the first degree."  
  
"Alright then, second degree, I'll bring him down a notch since he surfs and doesn't wear a pencil protector in his shirt pocket," Hobbes said as he turned on to CA-94 and headed east.   
  
Darien shook his head, "You have issues don't you?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Hobbes answered.  
  
"You complain, you're mean to people…is this all because your older sister beat you and made you wear your mother's dress?"  
  
"I'm not going to discuss that with you, Fawkes, that's between me and my therapist."  
  
Darien looked out the window as he smiled. "Is that like between you and your hairdresser?"  
  
"Don't go there, Fawkes."  
  
"Go where?"  
  
"The hair thing."  
  
"I wasn't going there."  
  
"Just because my hair follicles are AWOL and yours work overtime doesn't mean anything."  
  
Darien shook his head, "Hobbes, you are making no sense at all."  
  
"Life doesn't make sense, my friend. I learned that on the battle field of life."  
  
"You did take your meds today right?"  
  
"That's affirmative."  
  
"Well, that's comforting."  
  
~*~  
  
At the Agency, Walter was busy at the grim task of following orders. He filled the syringe marked 'Potassium chloride'. He sighed as he put in the box with the other two syringes. He picked up the paper faxed to him by his superior outlining the procedure. She had wanted to send someone else to administer the injections but Walter refused. If Ed was going to die it wouldn't be at the hands of some stranger.  
  
Walter was to restrain Ed to a gurney and hook up an IV. The first injection would be the sodium pentothal. Walter would give Ed enough that by itself, it would be lethal. He wanted to make sure that Ed didn't feel a thing, even if he was quicksilver mad, the real Ed was still inside somewhere. The next injection, Pancuronium bromide, would come about a minute later. This will paralyze Ed's lungs and diaphragm and he would stop breathing anywhere from one to three minutes. The last injection would then be given, Potassium chloride. This would stop Ed's heart. When death was confirmed, Walter would then begin the harvesting procedure.  
  
Walter checked his watch. Time was growing short. He closed the box, locked it and pushed it aside. He rested on his elbows, folded his hands and prayed.  
  
~*~  
  
One of the guards outside opened the door for Claire. Ed heard the mechanical lock open. Claire walked in with Tom behind her and the two guards.  
  
"Its about time, I thought I would have to piss in my pants," Ed rose to his feet. He saw Tom, "Oh, so you live, I didn't squeeze hard enough."  
  
Claire looked at Tom and shook her head, hoping that he would remember that this isn't the real Ed speaking. She turned her attention back to Ed, "I need you to take something first, Ed. It's methadone. It will help with the pain from the withdrawals you seem to be experiencing." Claire held out the pill for Ed.  
  
"Nah, I don't think so," Ed said as he shook his head, "That will knock me out and then the next thing I know your digging in my head. I'll deal with the pain."  
  
"Ed, you can trust me, that's not my intention," Claire said.  
  
Ed thought for a moment, "I don't want a pill, I want counteragent."  
  
"Okay, but I'll keep it handy just in case you change your mind." Claire motioned to the guards that she was ready.  
  
A guard came on either side of him and grabbed him by his arms. "Oh, so I get an audience, don't be too jealous fellas, I've worn boxers for years so I hang lower. Isn't that right, honey?"  
  
Claire blushed and looked away quickly. Ed was led out of the padded room and down the hall towards the bathroom. Claire trailed behind them with Tom next to her.  
  
"This quicksilver madness is interesting," Tom said.  
  
"I'm glad you think so," Claire said as she looked at Tom oddly.   
  
"Are Darien and Ed the only two that have experienced this?"  
  
"No, actually, Hobbes and I both went through quicksilver madness, oh and the Official too. But Hobbes experienced stage 5 madness."  
  
"You'll have to tell me how that happened."  
  
Ed grunted and his whole body went stiff. Claire ran to him, she looked at the guards as she held Ed's head in her hands, "Let him go until this passes."  
  
Ed curled up in a ball and moaned. His eyes squeezed shut and his face twisted in pain. Claire didn't know what to say to comfort him. She rubbed his shoulder and spoke softly, "Ed please, take the pill."  
  
"No," Ed said through gritted teeth.  
  
Claire looked up Tom and then back at Ed who rocked back and forth on floor. They waited for the episode to pass. Claire had been timing them and they were getting closer together and lasted longer as she feared. She began to believe that this was how stage 4 is characterized now, with withdrawals. All Claire could do was to hold him.  
  
Ed soon relaxed and the guards had him back on his feet. Claire and Tom followed the guards into the bathroom. Claire motioned for the guards to wait by the door and Claire took Ed to the far end of the bathroom for some privacy. Tom stood behind Ed with the tranq gun ready.  
  
"He's not going to shoot me in the ass is he, cause I'd really hate that."  
  
"Don't worry, if you behave yourself, he won't have to shoot you at all," Claire untied Ed's scrub pants and pulled the front down slightly. Claire gave Tom a quick glance and rolled her eyes. Tom looked down at the floor.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to go ahead and take a sample," she took the lid off the cup and put it on top of the shelf above the urinal. She put a pair of gloves on.  
  
"Is that the only sample you need?" Ed said as he wiggled his brow.  
  
"Yes," Claire answered somewhat annoyed.  
  
"Damn."  
  
Claire pulled down Ed's boxers and reached her hand inside. "Oh yeah, baby…that's it…oh, feels so good…stroke it!" Ed started to pant.  
  
Claire stopped and looked at Ed disgusted.  
  
"What? I was kidding, okay, I'm serious now."  
  
"Stop with the jokes and lets get this over with. I need to catch you in mid stream." Claire glared at Ed, "And no jokes or else I'm going to put you back in the padded room and let you urinate in your pants!"  
  
"Ohh…I like it when you're so demanding. So, what's next my mistress, tie me up?" Ed looked down at his arms, "Oh, silly me, you've done that already."  
  
Claire pressed her lips together and closed her eyes, "Ed, will you knock it off," she said in a hard tone. Ed turned his head and shot Tom a smile. She tried again and this time Ed was cooperative. She finally got the sample she needed.  
  
"Don't forget to shake me."  
  
"Oh bloody hell, Ed!" She shook Ed and fixed him back up. She motioned for the guards to come and take him back to the padded room.  
  
They left the bathroom and Tom followed the guards while Claire went to the Keep to run some tests. Ed had another episode before reaching the padded room. Tom timed it for Claire and would let her know. Once inside the room, Ed had another withdrawal episode a few minutes later. Claire was right; they were coming closer together now. Ed only had a few minutes in between each one. He was getting close to the peek, but how long it lasted, no one knew. Sloan went to the Keep to help Claire. Tom stayed to watch Ed and make sure Walter didn't make his move.  
  
~*~  
  
Darien and Hobbes approached a gas station. They stopped and decided to go inside and ask some questions.  
  
The man behind the counter looked at Darien oddly. Darien turned to Hobbes, "I think we found the right place."  
  
"He recognized you…I mean he sees the resemblance."  
  
Darien pulled out his badge, "I need to ask you some questions."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Yeah, uhmm…do you recognize this man?" Darien held out the picture of Ed.  
  
The man looked at Darien and the picture and back to Darien again, "Is this some kind of joke?"  
  
"Ah…no sir, the federal government doesn't joke," Hobbes replied.  
  
"You could have fooled me," Darien retorted under his breath.  
  
"We just need to know if this man was in here earlier today," Hobbes said as he glared at Darien.  
  
The man behind the counter was still staring at Darien, "Yeah, he was, he wanted to know where he was and how to get to San Diego." The man paused and then asked, "Are you two like twins or something like that?"  
  
"Yeah, something like that," Darien answered.  
  
"Can you tell me which direction he came from?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure, came in here speeding from the east. First he went to the phone booth and then looked like he freaked out or something. Then he came running in here asking where he was and all. I thought he was drunk or on drugs on the account of his eyes being bloodshot."  
  
"That was Ed alright," Darien said.  
  
"Is he wanted by the FBI or the CIA or something? If he is do I get a reward?"  
  
"No, sorry, he's not wanted. We just needed to know if he was in here," Hobbes said.  
  
"Oh I know, he's got that virus and you're tracking down where he's been," the man had a worried look on his face, "Oh that mean's we're all gonna get it."  
  
Hobbes snickered as he spoke, "No, no, he's fine. He's not contagious."  
  
"Thankfully," Darien retorted as he looked around. He grabbed Hobbes by his shirt, "Thanks for your help and you have nothing to worry about."  
  
They ran back to the van and got in. Hobbes started the van up and they raced out of the parking lot and headed east on Lyons Valley Road.   
  
"Well, so far, this tip you got is panning out. Ed did come this way. But from where?" Darien asked as he looked around.  
  
"This is where your trick comes in handy, my friend. Let me know if you sense anything."  
  
~*~  
  
The Lady sat in her car and waited for a report. Walter had called her and told her about Ed's condition and it angered her. That was not part of the plan but then again, she had a fully functioning gland now. Arnaud's double cross may turn out better than she thought. She provided Darien and Hobbes with the tip in the hopes they would find Arnaud. She knew the location, and with Darien's dominant abilities, he would be able to locate Arnaud easily. This was the perfect set-up. Neither of them would suspect it and Arnaud needed to be punished for his actions.  
  
The team was ready to move in as soon as they received confirmation that Darien found Arnaud. She wanted all the information they could get from Arnaud's computers and she really didn't care if he and or Darien were killed, to her, Darien was just another dominant. Ed had a gland now and that's all she cared about. After she got the information she wanted from Arnaud, then she would go for what's in Ed's head. He would just be another casualty in the war for survival, but he would have given his life in service of his country and his species.  
  
With as many terrorists' organizations out there, they would have trouble finding who was behind the attack. Even the dominants could be blamed, especially if Darien was killed.  
  
~*~  
  
Sloan came into the Keep and saw Claire busy running tests and checking her computer. "What can I do?" Sloan asked rubbing her hands together like she was trying to warm them up.  
  
Claire glanced at Sloan quickly and then went back to work, "How is he?"  
  
"Well, Tom said that he had another episode on his way back and then he had another one a few minutes after he was put back in the padded room," Sloan said as she walked towards Claire.  
  
Claire thought for a moment and then continued, "Hmmm…Okay, this is what I'm trying to do and what I think will happen to Ed. I think he's in what would normally be called stage 4 madness. I'm trying to figure out a way to get him back into at least stage 1. I'm not sure I can pull him out completely, but if I can at least pull him back into stage 1 he can help us. I hate for him to go through all that again, but it's worth it, I think anyway."  
  
"How are you going to do that?" Sloan asked.  
  
"Well, before Darien started to build up immunity to the counteragent, I was working on a new one. The only problem is it pushed him straight into stage 5 madness," Claire carefully took out a vial from the gavitron she got from Ed's lab.  
  
"But won't that be a bad thing?"  
  
"Not if I can make it have the opposite effect," Claire looked at Sloan.  
  
"Okay, what you need me to do?" Sloan said as she put on a lab coat.  
  
"I've got a batch almost ready; I started it after I spoke with Walter. My tests will be rushed and not very conclusive. I may end up having to test it on Ed," Claire looked at Sloan.  
  
"Where have I been in this position before?" Sloan smiled.  
  
"Here is a sample of Ed's quicksilver with the toxin in it," Claire held up a syringe, "I extracted straight from the gland while he was sedated. I'm going to inject it into the blood stream of this rat. Tom gave me the idea actually. He had asked if any of us had experienced quicksilver madness, three of us have. With the Official and myself it was through bacterial exposure," Claire noticed Sloan's expression, "I'll explain that one later. Hobbes experience was from skin contact with quicksilver tainted with the toxin and the new counteragent. It absorbed through his skin and he immediately went into stage 5 madness. I'm hoping the same will happen with this rat."  
  
Claire injected the rat and waited. The rat began to show signs of madness. Sloan and Claire smiled at each other. "Okay, so that worked. Now lets take a blood sample," Claire said as she handed the syringe to Sloan, "I'll check on the counteragent while do that."  
  
"So, what's this little guy's name?" Sloan asked.  
  
Claire smiled, "Well, normally I give them all names starting with LR for 'lab rat' and then a number," Claire held up the vial as she put a needle inside to draw out the contents, "Darien wasn't to impressed so I named the rat Darien. I named another rat Hobbes."  
  
"So, now I take it this one is Ed?" Sloan smiled as she drew the blood from the rat.  
  
Claire chuckled, "Yeah, I guess that would be appropriate."  
  
Sloan marked the vial, "Well, I guess it fits now doesn't it?" She said despondently.   
  
"Yeah, unfortunately," Claire said as she put the syringe down by the cage. "Okay, I'm going to inject the rat with this counteragent and then we'll draw some more blood and compare the two." Claire injected the rat and Sloan prepared to draw some blood.  
  
Claire and Sloan studied the rat and it started to shake. Sloan looked nervously at Claire. "Don't worry, that happens," Claire said reassuringly.  
  
The rat fell over on it's side and stayed still for a moment. "Is it sleeping?" Sloan asked.  
  
"Yeah, that's the effect counteragent has. It should only last a few minutes than the subject wakes up. Each time it's different, I think it has to do with the amount of toxin in the system." Claire saw the rat move, "There see, he's coming around. Okay, you get the blood sample and I'll prepare the first blood sample."  
  
"Sorry, Ed the rat, but you're really getting poked today aren't you?" Sloan said as she carefully drew the blood. She prepared the slide with the new sample and handed it to Claire. "Do you see anything yet?"  
  
"Here, let me show you," Claire slid over to the monitor, "Here is the first sample, you can see the toxin in the blood stream clearly and that's quicksilver." Claire slid back over and inserted the new sample. She sighed.  
  
"What?"  
  
Claire slid back over to the monitor and changed the screen so that it would show both slides. Sloan sighed, "This is like trying to treat a viral infection like a bacterial infection."  
  
"Exactly, Arnaud once accused me of playing remedy roulette on Darien, now I feel like I'm playing counteragent roulette on Ed." Claire sat back in her chair. "Let's try again. I won't give up. I think I'm on the right track though, let me try some components used in the counteragent for stage 5. This maybe a process of elimination, but I can't keep injecting the same rat with counteragent."  
  
Sloan thought for a moment, "I'll be right back." She rushed out of the Keep to find Ray.  
  
~*~  
  
Tom and Ray watched Ed rock back and forth on the floor. Walter walked in. Ray and Tom looked at him cautiously. Tom walked over and stood between the glass and Walter, "All I ask, is that give them time. Darien will find Arnaud and if he doesn't, I'm sure Sloan and Claire can come up with something."  
  
Walter sighed, "I told Claire what my orders are for a reason. You have until 11:45 tonight. What you do in fifteen minutes is up to you. That's all I can give you, sorry." Walter started to turn away, "Oh and Tom, Ray, this conversation never happened."  
  
Tom nodded, "I understand."  
  
"Loud and clear," Ray responded.  
  
Walter caught a glimpse of Ed and it saddened his heart. He carried a heavy burden on his shoulders. He left the observation room and went inside the padded room. He sat on the bed and listened to Ed moan, he was chanting something inaudible as he rocked on the floor. Walter figured that Ed was trying to refocus his mind, like a woman in labor thinking of the ocean waves as they roll in or a swing. Ed was obviously at the peek of his withdrawals.  
  
Walter looked at the glass window and knew that Tom and Ray watched him carefully. He tilted his down and watched Ed.  
  
Ray checked his watch, "We still have four hours."  
  
Tom looked at Ray, "You stay here and watch Ed. I'm going to look for a place where we can take him."  
  
"They found you, Sloan and Ed in the desert. They even found Darien and Ed in the desert. Where are you going to go?" Ray said.  
  
Tom let out a sigh, "I don't know, but I can't let them kill Ed."   
  
Ray watched as Tom left the room. He glanced back at Ed and Walter. "Here I go again, never a dull moment with these people." Ray pulled out his phone to call Gracie and let her know that he was going to be late…again.  
  
TBC…. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Tom came into the Keep and saw Claire busy at work, "How's it going?"  
  
Claire glanced at him, "Ah, not very well, we failed on our first attempt. Actually, I would have been surprised if we got it to work. How's Ed?"  
  
"Not good, I think he's at the peek that you were talking about," Tom sat down and put his hands on his lap, "Walter talked to us."  
  
Claire stopped what she was doing and put her hands on her hips, "What did say?"  
  
"He's going to be giving the injections to Ed at midnight. He gave us a window of fifteen minutes. We can't move Ed until 11:45 tonight."  
  
"He must be planning something then, if we take Ed too soon it might fail." She smiled gratefully, "He's risking a lot by doing this."  
  
"According to him, the conversation never happened. We're on our own." Tom stood up, "I'm going to look for a place to take him. We won't be able to stay there long, so I'll need to find another place. Can you do your research on the run?"  
  
Claire shook her head, "Yeah, I'm preparing a mobile lab. I'm packing sedatives too. I have a feeling that we're going to need them."  
  
Tom smiled and headed for the door, Claire stopped him, "Tom!" He turned to face her.  
  
"Thanks, I mean not just for me, but for Ed."  
  
"He's a friend, Claire, and this is what friends do for each other." Tom smiled and walked out.  
  
Sloan ran into the observation room. She saw Ray, "Oh, Ray, I need your help."  
  
"If it means leaving the room, I can't, Tom went to find a place for us to take Ed to. I promised I would stay to keep my eye on him," Ray said.  
  
Sloan looked sullen all of a sudden, but she understood, "It's okay, I rather have someone watching him," she turned to look at Ed. She walked towards the window, "Why didn't you take the medication?" Ed had moved to the far end of the room and had propped himself up against the wall. He still rocked and back and forth with his knees pulled up to his chest.  
  
"He's been like that for about ten minutes now. Walter was in there with him, but he left five minutes ago." Ray announced softly as he put his hand on Sloan's shoulder.  
  
Sloan looked up at him, "Claire doesn't know how long this part will last." She shook herself from staring at Ed and walked to the door, "Thanks for keeping an eye on him."  
  
Ray merely nodded and Sloan left. Ray sat down and rested his elbow on the window ledge. He let out a big sigh. He had turned off the microphone earlier; he didn't want to hear Ed's moans anymore.  
  
~*~  
  
Darien and Hobbes traveled east on Lyons Valley Road. Darien suddenly sat up in the seat, "Whoa…whoa…Hobbes, stop…stop…pull over, right here…right here."  
  
"Okay, okay, don't get your hair in a tousle," Hobbes pulled the van over and Darien opened the door. "What'd you see?"  
  
"I don't know, let me check," Darien got out of the van and went to a group of small bushes. Hobbes followed him. Darien leaned down and picked up what looked like a jacket. He shook it and it opened up, bits of broken glass fell from the long white coat.  
  
Hobbes looked at it, "A lab coat."  
  
"Ed might have been wearing it. He must have taken it off when he broke the window. There were no bruises or cuts on either arm. My guess is he wrapped his arm in it or used something else to break the window and used the coat to cover the glass." Darien folded it back up and tucked it under his arm. He watched Hobbes check the ground.  
  
"Hel-lo…Fawkes, take a look," Hobbes was pointing to the ground were footprints and tire tracks were visible. "Who ever was here wore hiking boots," Hobbes stood up and followed the tire tracks. "He came in this way to hide the car, he got out of the car and that's when lab coat must have fallen out. Then he came to the side of road to see where he was at."  
  
"And how do you that all that?"  
  
"Haven't I taught you anything? Obviously if he went inside the gas station and asked directions, he didn't know where he was. Plus the shoe tracks go to the side of the road. See how they go around in circles, he was trying to figure out where he was."  
  
"Oh yeah, the ol' 'men don't ask for directions' thing was just blown."  
  
"He was on the run from Arnaud and almost quicksilver nutso, he didn't have time to go sight seeing. I'd say we continue east since I doubt he came down that road over there. The tire tracks come in this way," Hobbes followed the tracks to the bushes. "Then he backed up and went out this way," Hobbes pointed to the ground, "The tracks are here where he pulled back out onto the road."  
  
"You're a regular tracker aren't you?"  
  
"Training, my friend."  
  
Darien looked at Hobbes, then he looked around, "Okay, Ed, anymore clues for us." They got back in the van and drove east.  
  
~*~  
  
Sloan came back in the Keep with a monkey, "Well, I know it's not a rat, but will he do?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, this is Jonesy right?" Claire said as the monkey jumped on her shoulder.  
  
"Yes, I thought maybe he'd bring us some luck." Sloan put his cage down on the counter. Claire had picked up a syringe of quicksilver. Sloan took Jonesy and held him while Claire injected him with the quicksilver. Sloan quickly put the monkey back in the cage. They watched Jonesy for a minute and he started to show signs of quicksilver madness. Sloan drew some blood from Jonesy and put the vial in the carrier. She and Claire went about preparing another dose of counteragent.  
  
"Did you check on Ed?" Claire asked as they waited.  
  
"Yeah, Ray was in there so he couldn't help me bring the other monkeys. Ed didn't look good, Claire. He was huddled at the far end of the room."  
  
Claire let out a deep sigh, "I was afraid of that." She checked the vial's temperature, "Okay, this one is ready." Claire filled a syringe and they both approached a very angry monkey.  
  
"You know, maybe a monkey wasn't such a good idea after all," Sloan said.  
  
*POP*  
  
The monkey fell to the bottom of the cage. Sloan stared at it wide eyed and then turned around to see Claire put the tranq gun down. Sloan smiled in half shock half amusement. "I don't have time to fight with a monkey today nor do I have the patience," Claire said as she opened the cage. Claire injected the monkey with the counteragent. "Go ahead and draw some blood, it should act pretty fast," Claire said as she prepared a slide to compare it with the new blood sample.  
  
They crossed their fingers and studied the two slides. Claire smiled. Sloan looked at her, "Did it work?"  
  
"Almost," Claire enlarged the samples on the screen, "I just need to modify it some more. It's still not enough, but I think we got it. It won't be able to pull him completely out of quicksilver madness, but it might be enough to buy Ed some time."  
  
"Well, why are we talking, lets do some cooking," Sloan said as she patted Claire on the back.  
  
~*~  
  
The Official walked into Walter's office alone. Walter looked up from his desk, "Hello, Charlie, what can I do for you?"  
  
"What are your intentions with Dr. Tate?"  
  
Walter leaned back in his chair and tapped his pen on the desk, "Why, he's no concern of yours."  
  
"He has a quicksilver gland in his head and that makes him my concern."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"It's a matter of national security and the secrecy of this project."  
  
"If Darien does not return with the counteragent by midnight, the gland will be harvested. Is that what you want to hear? That I can be just as cold hearted as you?"  
  
The Official looked at Walter with furry, "How I treat Darien is my business. This project is not about him. I follow orders, whether I like it or not."  
  
"And I do the same." Walter stood up, "The difference between you and I, Charlie, is that I listen to my feelings and not always my superiors. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend some time with Ed. If I'm going to kill him tonight, I'm going to at least look him in the eye."  
  
"Arnaud can now manufacture his own quicksilver gland and Dr. Tate helped him," The Official said before Walter left.  
  
"We don't know the extent that Ed helped or if he did at all. But think about this one, Charlie, Ed might have gotten close enough to figure out a way to fix the gland in Darien, now, that knowledge might die with him. That should make you happy; you still may have a leash on Darien after all." Walter turned and left his office leaving the Official standing there.  
  
~*~  
  
Hobbes drove down another street. "Sense anything yet with those supper peepers of yours?"  
  
"I don't have x-ray vision, Hobbes."  
  
"No, but that mind of yours does."  
  
"I don't see visions, I only read thoughts…" Darien looked at Hobbes, "…kinda like you when you hear voices, only they're from real people outside of my head."  
  
"You makin' fun of me?"  
  
"No, that wouldn't be nice to make fun of other people."  
  
"Oh, I see where you're taking this…"  
  
"And where would that be?"  
  
"You're trying to teach me a lesson about making fun of Mr. Ed…well let me tell you something Wilbur…"  
  
"Okay, see, there you go again, this aggression that you have towards Ed…whoa…wait, Hobbes. Pull over." Darien sat straight up in the seat.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's the place right down there?"  
  
"You sure?"  
  
Darien shot Hobbes a glare, "Oh so now you're questioning me…sure I'm sure." Darien opened the door. He met Hobbes on the other side of the van.  
  
Hobbes handed Darien a gun, "Get yourself a clear shot and put Arnaud's lights out for good."  
  
"I love this plan." Darien put his hand on Hobbes shoulder. The quicksilver flowed and covered them both. "Eww…this is just too weird, Fawkes," Hobbes retorted.  
  
"Just keep quiet, okay."  
  
They approached the house and Darien sensed some humans coming fast. "We've got company, Hobbes and it's not Avon." They rushed to the house just as Arnaud's men came out wearing thermals. "Oh crap!" The two men said in unison. Arnaud came out and smiled, "I was wondering when you were going get here."  
  
Darien let the quicksilver stop and he looked behind him, "You've got company, Arnie, anyone you know?"  
  
"Perhaps, but I believe they want us both dead or else they wouldn't have waited until you showed up," He said smugly. "Come inside, I have something you want." Arnaud turned and went back inside the house. Darien and Hobbes stared at each other in disbelief. They shrugged their shoulders and followed Arnaud.  
  
"What'd you sense from him?" Hobbes asked under his breath.  
  
"He wants to give us counteragent and the weird thing is, he's sincere," Darien replied back.  
  
"Does he know about you?"   
  
"He knows I'm a dominant," Darien stated as he cautiously kept an eye on his surroundings. He still didn't trust Arnaud.  
  
"If you're wondering if I know about you, Fawkes, I do. Tell me how does it feel to be part of an evolved species? Arnaud asked.  
  
"Not all that different actually, but at least I know I belong to a higher life form than you," Darien retorted.  
  
Arnaud turned around and chuckled, "I see that you didn't lose your uncanny wit."  
  
Darien heard gunshots outside. He looked at Hobbes and then turned his gaze back to Arnaud, "Why'd you do it? Why Ed?"  
  
"Do you want the counteragent or to chit chat?"   
  
Darien grabbed Arnaud and lifted him off the floor, "You bastard, you just had to go and ruin another life didn't you?" Darien threw Arnaud across the room. He approached him and lifted him off the floor again, "Where is it? Where's the counteragent and it had better be the right one."  
  
Arnaud pointed a drawer, "It's in there, in a black box."   
  
Hobbes looked through the drawer and found the box and opened it up. He held up the vial, "It's yellow."  
  
"Yes, it's different counteragent. How is Dr. Tate doing by the way?"  
  
Darien pushed him up against the wall, "Your mutation is working just fine."  
  
"Then I would suggest you get him the counteragent before it's too late."  
  
Darien squeezed Arnaud's neck, "What have you done?"  
  
"Stage 4 madness is not like it was for you," Arnaud gasped for air, "I'm sure he's in that now, waiting for counteragent to take him out of his misery. So you can either spend time killing me, or do what you failed to do the last time…save your brother."  
  
Darien smiled malevolently, "Arnie, it won't take me but a second to kill you." Darien tossed Arnaud to the floor and grabbed him from behind, "You want to learn about dominants? Here's lesson one. How do dominants kill?" Darien slowly started to twist Arnaud's neck, "We snap heads off."  
  
Hobbes put the syringe and the vials in his pocket, "He bent down to look in Arnaud's eyes, "Before he does that, where's the information on counteragent?"  
  
Arnaud gasped, "Dr. Tate's laptop, I put it in there."   
  
Hobbes looked around and saw it sitting on the desk. Just as Hobbes reached for it, an explosion rocked the house. The impact knocked Darien and Hobbes across the room. Arnaud lay on the ground covered in debris and bleeding profusely. Arnaud had taken the brunt of the impact. Darien got up slowly and checked on Hobbes, he was still alive. He sensed that Arnaud was still alive but barely.  
  
"Hobbes, come on man, we've got to get out of here." He helped Hobbes to his feet and they ran from the room. The house was falling down around them as it was rocked with one explosion after another. They reached the outside and ran to the row of trees. They stopped to see men in combat gear surround the house. It was on fire and the exit that Darien and Hobbes came from collapsed.   
  
"Over there, stop them!"  
  
"Are they talking about us?" Darien asked.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," Hobbes said as he held on to Ed's laptop.  
  
"Do you suppose they want autographs?"  
  
"Not my first guess."  
  
Darien and Hobbes took off running. They hid behind a car and Darien coated Hobbes with quicksilver. "We're gonna make another run for it, ready?" Darien asked.  
  
"Yeah, let's do it."  
  
Darien and Hobbes got to their feet and took off running. The car they were hiding behind suddenly blew up in an explosion that sent the two men sailing through the air. They landed on the grass behind some bushes. The quicksilver flaked off and Darien checked Hobbes, he was banged up but still breathing.  
  
"I'm really starting to hate being blown up," Darien said sarcastically.  
  
Hobbes moaned his agreement, "That makes two of us." Darien took a peek and saw the men coming over to the car; they had taken off their thermals from the blinding light of the explosion. Darien saw the opportunity; he touched Hobbes again and covered them. He grabbed Hobbes, "Come on."  
  
Hobbes grunted his disapproval, but forced himself to his feet and they ran off without being seen again. They made it to the van and noticed the flat tire. "Damn, they knew," Darien said as he hit the side the van.  
  
"Do we find another mode of transportation or do we change the tire?" Hobbes asked as he looked around. "They may even be watching us," Hobbes said.  
  
"Somebody doesn't want us to get the counteragent to Ed," Darien said as he glanced up and down the street.  
  
"Or they wanted you dead or maybe both, you dead and Ed permanently whacko."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Don't know, my friend." Hobbes said as he got the things needed to change the tire. "You stand guard with those supper ears of yours," Hobbes started to jack up the van.  
  
"Whoa, Hobbes, someone's coming." Darien helped Hobbes grab the tools and they hid in the dense vegetation next to the van.  
  
The men came up to the van and looked around. "They didn't come back this way," one of the men said as he looked around.  
  
Hobbes and Darien looked at each other and then turned their attention back to the men. "Why don't you tell them that we left and they won't find us," Hobbes said quietly.  
  
Darien furrowed his brow in disbelief at his partner's request, "I'm not a Jedi Knight, Hobbes, I can only disrupt brain waves, not put suggestions in their minds."  
  
"Oh, well, now would be a good time to learn the ways of the force," Hobbes said in reply.  
  
"It doesn't work that way, Hobbes…wait, they're leaving." Darien slowly got up and stepped out from behind the bushes, he signaled for Hobbes to come out too. "Okay, let's get this tire changed and get the heck out of here."  
  
~*~  
  
Walter patted Ed's forehead and face with cold compresses trying to keep him as comfortable as possible. Ed was getting worse. His body trembled, his breathing heavy and he moaned constantly in agony. Walter was sure that Ed wasn't even aware that someone was there. He spoke softly to Ed telling him stories of when they first met and the things that happened during the past five years.  
  
Sloan came in to check up on Ed and saw Walter sitting there. She smiled. "Thanks, Walter," she said as she sat down next to him.   
  
"I better take that now because soon, you won't be thanking me at all," Walter said sadly.  
  
"Well, that's why I'm saying it. You're risking a lot and I appreciate that," Sloan said as she looked sadly at Ed.  
  
"Sloan, I have no idea what you're talking about," Walter eyed her cautiously.  
  
"What I meant was, that you're risking your friendship with us by following orders," Sloan said as she winked at him. "But we know that if anybody has to do this, at least it'll be you."  
  
Walter wiped Ed's forehead, "I don't want to, Sloan, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. How is Claire doing?"  
  
"She's making headway, actually, I just came in here to check on Ed so I can tell her how he's doing," she looked sadly at Walter.  
  
"Sloan, I hope she can come up something or that Darien and Hobbes can get back in time with the counteragent. I've tried everything I could, but these orders are coming down from the top."  
  
"I know, Walter, we don't blame you, this is just as hard on you as it is on us," she bent down and kissed Ed's cheek. She was shocked at how hot he was. "I love you, Ed, hang in there for us," she got up and left the room. She met Tom in the hallway and hugged him, "He's getting worse, Tom."  
  
"I know." Tom walked with Sloan back to the Keep. He had some good news to tell Claire. He had found a couple of dominant safe houses that Mark had provided. Mark had also offered help in removing Ed from the Agency.  
  
They entered the Keep and Claire was ecstatic. Tom and Sloan both glanced at each other. "You did it? You discovered counteragent that will work on Ed?" Sloan asked with hope in her tone.  
  
"No, but I've got better news than that. I just got off the phone with Hobbes, they found Arnaud and they're on their way back with the counteragent."  
  
Sloan covered her mouth and sat down, she couldn't believe what she just heard, "How long before they get here?"  
  
"Hobbes said in about twenty minutes, he wanted to wait to call me to make sure they weren't being followed. But I'm still going to continue my research, just in case."   
  
"Should we tell Walter?" Sloan asked.  
  
Tom raised a brow, "No, I don't think we should at least not yet."  
  
"Why? I think he should know," Sloan said in a questionable tone.  
  
"Sloan, just trust me on this. The less people know that Darien and Hobbes are on their way back the better."  
  
"You think he would tell someone so they would try to stop them?" Claire asked. She put her hands on her hips and stared at Tom.  
  
"That wouldn't be Walter's intention, but maybe someone else's." Tom didn't trust anybody outside of their little circle and unfortunately that meant Walter. Not that Walter would willingly betray Ed, but that he would tell someone who had no second thoughts about it.  
  
~*~  
  
The Lady stood by the remains of Arnaud's house. A soldier came up to her to give her a report.  
  
"We didn't find Arnaud's body or Agent Fawkes. Some men did check the van parked down the street and they didn't see anybody, but shortly after it was discovered gone. Would you like for us to search by air?"  
  
The Lady became enraged, "No, if they're traveling on a public highway that would bring too much attention to ourselves. It's bad enough we destroyed this house." She paused and then continued after she glanced at the house for a few seconds, "I still have options open." She turned and walked towards her car. She pulled out her cell phone and called Walter.  
  
Walter's phone rang and he picked it up, "Yes."  
  
"There's been a change in orders. My superiors don't want to wait any longer. There's a team on their way, Walter. Your orders are to give Dr. Tate the injections right now and prepare to extract the gland."  
  
Walter looked at Ed and then his watch, "But it's not time yet, you must give Darien and Claire a chance to save him."  
  
"I'm sorry, Walter, but you can't let your personal feelings get in the way of what is the greater good. I've told you before, Walter, we're all expendable." She hung up the phone and she headed for San Diego.  
  
Walter turned off his phone and starred at Ed for a moment. He got up, left the room and headed for the Keep.  
  
Claire and Sloan were busy with another trial counteragent when Walter came in. Tom saw the look on his face and read his emotion, he shot Sloan a quick glance. Sloan looked at him and Claire glanced up from the microscope.  
  
"What is it, Walter, is it Ed?" Sloan asked.  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid it is, I've been ordered to proceed with the retrieval of the gland ASAP. If you're going to get him out of here, I suggest you do it now," Walter started to leave when Claire spoke up.  
  
"But Darien and Hobbes have the counteragent and they're on their way back now. You have to give them time," Claire pleaded.  
  
Walter turned to look at her, "I can stall for time, but they had better hurry." Walter turned and as the door opened, the Official walked in followed by some guards.  
  
"Charlie, what's going on here?" Walter asked as he eyed the men.  
  
"These men are here to make sure that you carry out your orders."  
  
Claire looked shocked, "NO! The counteragent is on its way!"  
  
"Doctor, I've told you before, it's not about…"  
  
"Don't give me that! Ed isn't a receptacle…"  
  
"Orders are orders, doctor, and we will not have this conversation again." The Official glanced back at the guards, "Escort Dr. Attwood back to his office so he can get what he needs and then make sure he carries out his orders."  
  
Claire glared at him, "Don't do this," she said emphatically.   
  
The Official glared at Claire, "Don't make me lock all of you up." He walked out in a huff. Claire grabbed her phone and dialed Hobbes' number. "I won't give Ed up so easily, not without a fight."  
  
Sloan looked at Tom. "What do you want us to do?"  
  
"First, let me tell Hobbes and Darien what's happening and then I'll tell you what's on my mind. In the mean time, Sloan, prepare a hypo gun for me and some sedatives to knock out a human for days; it's in the top drawer. Tom, grab the tranq gun and the extra darts." Claire waited for Hobbes to pick up the phone.  
  
Hobbes phone rang, he looked at it in puzzlement, "It's Claire." He answered, "What is it, Claire? …whoa, Claire slow down, what was that?" Hobbes listened and looked at Darien with a look of dismay on his face, "Okay, we'll move as fast as we can." He slowly put the phone down.  
  
Darien glanced at Hobbes, he didn't have to wait for him to explain. He knew already, "That fat bastard!" Darien gripped the wheel and pushed the pedal to the floor, "Come on, baby," he muttered as he pushed the old van to its limits.  
  
Hobbes took out the vial filled with counteragent and the syringe. He filled it and held it up in his hand. "When we get there, you take this and do your stuff, confuse them or whatever it is you do. I'll provide backup. Anyone goes near Ed and I'll put a cap in them."  
  
Darien glanced back at Hobbes, his eyes black again. "Oh, I'll do better than that."  
  
"Oh crap," Hobbes said as he took in the sight of his very angry partner.  
  
TBC… 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
"Remember, we don't kill anybody, just put them out for awhile," Claire reiterated as she and Tom made their way towards the padded room.  
  
Claire stopped and peeked around the corner, she then turned back to Tom, "Okay, there are two guards outside the room. "I'll get the one on my right, Tom you get the one on the left, but don't shoot me in the process."  
  
"Don't worry, Claire, I'll hit the right one."  
  
"I trust you, Tom." Claire squared her shoulders, fixed her hair and her lab coat, "Okay, here goes." She walked around the corner and headed towards the guards as Tom stayed out of sight. The hypo gun was hidden in the pocket of her lab coat; she held it firmly in her hand. She walked in between the two guards and glared at the one on her right. "I'm sure I have permission to at least spend his last moments with him?"  
  
The guard on her right bent down to push in the numbers to release the locking mechanism on the door. 'This is it, no turning back,' Claire thought to herself as she pulled the hypo gun quickly from her pocket and pressed it up against the man's neck. He clutched his neck and fell to the ground. The second guard turned to face Claire, "What are…" he fell to the ground. Claire noticed the dart in his back.  
  
Claire pushed the door open and Tom came from around the corner. Ray took care of the guard in the observation room when he saw Claire enter the room. He left that room to take his position outside the padded room.  
  
Tom came out seconds later with Ed draped over his shoulder. Claire had knocked Ed out as well so his moans wouldn't bring attention to them. Tom handed Ray the tranq gun and they ran as quickly as they could down the hall towards the exit.  
  
The Official and Eberts came around the corner and saw the men lying on the ground. They rushed to the padded room and found it empty. "Should I call in more agents?"  
  
"No, Eberts, they did exactly what I had hoped they would do," the Official turned and walked back towards his office. Eberts smiled, "Good luck, doctor." He left and followed his boss.  
  
Walter came around the corner with a gurney being pushed behind him by another agent. He met the Official in the hallway, "I'm surprised you're not going to watch this, Charlie."  
  
"There's nothing to watch."  
  
Walter eyed the Official suspiciously, "What do you mean? Darien is here already?"  
  
"No, I mean that Claire and the others have taken Dr. Tate. Let me assure you, they will be found," as he walked by Walter, he patted him on the shoulder and kept going.  
  
Walter turned and watched the Official disappear around the corner, he smiled. "There's hope for you after all."  
  
Claire led them outside and held the door opened for Tom. They reached Sloan who was waiting in the car. Tom put Ed in the back and Claire came in on the other side to sit with him. Tom sat up front and Ray got into his own car. Sloan sped off but was trapped by another car, a white van.  
  
Claire looked panic stricken, they were trapped. Tom turned to her and Sloan, "Stay here and get your heads down, this is the address, when you get the chance you leave with Ed."   
  
"I'm not leaving you," Sloan said in despair.  
  
"You have to get Ed out of here," Tom said insistently. He and Ray got out and took their positions.  
  
The doors to the van opened and four men got and raised their guns, "Turn over Dr. Ed Tate!"  
  
"To hell we will," Ray replied under his breath.  
  
Tom smiled at him, "You ready?"  
  
"We won't ask you again, turn over Dr. Ed Tate!"  
  
Ray took the first shot and hit the window of the van shattering it, the men raced for cover as Ray and Tom open fired on them. They gained ground on the scattering men. Tom hit one in the leg.   
  
Sloan and Claire both kept their heads down and Claire covered Ed's sleeping form. All Sloan needed was for the men to get the van out of their way and she would have a clear get-a-way. Provided that was the only van.  
  
The Official and Eberts looked at each other. "Did you order men to stop them?" The Official asked.  
  
Eberts vehemently shook his head, "No, sir, I didn't."  
  
"Well, someone did," the Official stood up, "Let's go talk with Walter." They were almost out the door when Walter burst in the office.  
  
"You just couldn't let them escape could you?" Walter asked with anger.  
  
"This is not my doing," the Official glared at Walter.  
  
Walter stared him down for a moment, "My people better not get killed." He turned on his heels and left the office with the Official and Eberts behind him.  
  
Outside, Tom and Ray found themselves bogged down and the firing ceased. One of the men from the van yelled out, "You can't escape. Give up now while everyone is still alive! All we want is Dr. Tate!"  
  
Tom looked over at Ray, "Ray, you have Gracie and Matt, give up so you can go home to them."  
  
"And let them take Ed, no, I can't do that, not without a fight."  
  
From the corner of his eye, Tom saw one of the men sail through the air and land hard against the pavement. He and Ray were in shock at first, but Tom sensed who it was and he smiled. He rose to his feet.  
  
The other men looked around dumbfounded. Another one was lifted high in the air and thrown over the front of the van. Ray smiled, "It's about time the Calvary got here."   
  
Hobbes came around the corner and rushed to the car. Claire had looked up when the shooting had stopped. She had seen the two men tossed around. She had hoped against all odds that Darien and Hobbes had arrived in time. When she saw Hobbes running towards her, it was a wish come true. She opened the door, jumped out of the car and hugged him, "Where is it?"  
  
Hobbes held up the syringe, "Here it is and it's the right one."  
  
Claire hopped back in the car and injected Ed with the counteragent. Darien tossed the last man and let the quicksilver flake off. He walked past Tom and Ray and they both stared at him.   
  
"I guess that's what Hobbes was talking about before," Ray commented. They watched as Darien approached the car. Sloan got out and stood away from Darien. Claire looked at him in fear; there was no emotion in Darien's face at all. He obviously had one thing on his mind. Ed.   
  
Hobbes walked around and stood next to Claire, "He won't hurt any of us, but if I were the Fat Man, I'd stay away from him right now."  
  
"Is this what happened before?" Claire asked.  
  
"Yep, the ol' 'Bruce' impersonation." They watched as Darien pulled Ed out of the car and held him in his arms. He glared at everyone, almost like he was daring someone to take Ed from him. No one moved. Satisfied that no one would challenge him, he carried Ed back inside the Agency. The others followed Darien. The van and its occupants had left with their injured in a hurry.  
  
Claire ran up to Darien and lightly touched his arm. He stopped and glared at her. She was taken back by the anger on his face, "I'm not going to harm him, I just want to help. Let me check his eyes to make sure the counteragent worked."  
  
"I'm watching you."  
  
Claire nodded respectfully and slowly lifted an eyelid under the watchful eye of Darien. She checked both of Ed's eyes and they were once again brown. She sighed in relief, "Please, Darien, take Ed to the Keep so I can examine him and make sure he's okay. He's been through a lot."  
  
Darien didn't say a word and headed for the Keep. Claire widened her eyes as Darien walked by her. Sloan came up to her, "Is he okay?"  
  
"Which one?" Claire asked sullenly. "Ed is fine, so far, he's eyes are back to normal and he doesn't have the look of torment on his face. As far as Darien, I have no idea. I want to run tests, but I need to check Ed first."  
  
"He's exhibiting an intense territorial instinct. He's not going to be very trustful of anyone around Ed," Tom noted as they continued to follow Darien.  
  
The Official and Eberts came up from behind them followed by Walter and a few agents. "Where are you taking Dr. Tate?" The Official barked.  
  
Everyone stopped and turned around, Hobbes walked over to the Official. "We gave Ed the counteragent and it worked," he said scornfully.  
  
"You have to understand, I was only following orders from my superiors," the Official stated. He didn't notice Darien coming towards him.   
  
Tom stood in front of Darien, "Darien, listen to me, this isn't the time. Claire needs to check Ed to make sure he's going to be okay. You can trust Claire, you know you can. It was her idea to take Ed away from here in the first place."  
  
The Official looked at Darien; he'd never seen anything like this. Darien in the grip of quicksilver madness was never like this. Walter stared at Darien, "If I were you, I'd stay away from Darien until this passes. From what Hobbes said, he can't stay like this for long. And that you should be thankful for." Walter walked away, deciding it best for him to stay away himself. Ed was in good hands and he would be able to see him later.  
  
Darien glared at the Official threateningly and turned his back on him. He continued his trek to the Keep. Eberts gulped hard and looked away.  
  
Claire swiped her card through and the door slid open. Darien carried Ed to the counteragent chair and set him down. He began to take the straightjacket off. Claire and Sloan filled some containers up with water and grabbed some cloths that Claire had hanging around. Claire looked at Darien, "We're just going to wash him down a bit, to help him feel better. Later when he wakes up, you can take him to the shower, okay?"  
  
Darien nodded in agreement and watched the ladies carefully as they took off Ed's shirt. "When will he wake up?" Sloan asked being careful not to upset Darien.  
  
"In a couple of hours, I had wanted to make sure that Ed was comfortable if we had to move around a lot at first. But normally after receiving counteragent he would have come around by now," Claire stated as she ran the cool cloth over Ed's chest.  
  
Sloan looked at her and then at Tom. He motioned for her to come to him. Hobbes watched the intimate contact and he stared down at the floor. Sloan signaled for them to leave and they did, quietly. They leaned up against the wall outside the Keep and waited.  
  
Claire hadn't noticed that everyone had left. "Okay, lets…" she looked around, apart from Darien, there was no one else around, "Where did everyone go?"  
  
"Outside in the hall, they wanted to give you some time alone with Ed," Darien stated.  
  
"But you stayed," Claire said as the picked up some electrodes to attach to Ed.  
  
"I need to watch him, protect him from the fat man," Darien stated coldly without emotion.  
  
Claire put her hand on his shoulder, "It's okay now, Darien, he's safe, please come back to us." She didn't want to study this new state that Darien was in. No more tests, her main concern was Ed at moment.   
  
Outside, Sloan was thinking about Darien. Oddly, she felt safe with Darien like this, this was not quicksilver madness but more like an instinct to protect, an overly aggressive instinct, but it was certainly there.   
  
Tom nudged her, "What is going through that head of yours, Sloan?"  
  
She smiled, Tom knew her so well, "I was thinking about Darien and the aggressive characteristic he's showing, the way he was protecting Ed. What do you sense from him? Sloan asked.  
  
"Well, strong emotions, like compassion mainly."  
  
"I thought that was a trait that dominants try to restrain?" Ray said.  
  
"It is normally, but remember Darien was human. Those emotions and the memories of them are still there. For some reason it's amplified to a higher degree in Darien." Tom answered.  
  
"It had to be the mind control drug that Lewis gave him. Or this may have just evolved and is now showing itself when Darien gets to a certain emotional level. When did Darien become like this?" Sloan asked.  
  
"When I was speaking with Claire, I didn't have to say anything to him. He cursed the Fat Man, I told him to take the counteragent and do his thing. When he looked at me, that's when his eyes were all black again."  
  
"He was upset," Tom said.  
  
"Upset isn't the word, my friend," Hobbes retorted.  
  
"But you had the counteragent," Sloan added.  
  
"Yes, when we turned the corner, we could hear the gunfire and saw the van. Darien knew what was going on and he jumped out of the van. He attacked those goons and I figured that I would just go ahead and get the counteragent to Claire myself. He was doing a pretty good job of taking care of business on his own."  
  
The door swung open and Claire appeared at the doorway, "You can come back in now."  
  
"How is he?" Sloan asked.  
  
Claire smiled, "Ed is fine, his vitals are strong and there appears to be no damage. I'll need to take some scans and it appears that the gland is okay as far as I can tell. Darien is still, well, Darien. But I think he's calming down a bit."  
  
"He doesn't see you as a threat, he should return to normal," Tom stated.  
  
"Normal for Fawkes that is," Hobbes retorted as he entered the Keep. Claire noticed the cuts and scrapes on him.  
  
"Bobby, with all the commotion I didn't notice, are you alright?" Claire asked as she started to check his wounds.  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay, Keep, nothing that Bobby Hobbes can't handle." Hobbes blushed as he sat down and told them the whole story.  
  
~*~   
  
A few hours later, Darien was fast asleep and had been for about an hour and a half. He had returned back to normal and ate enough food for three people. After that, he fell asleep on a bed that Claire had brought in for Ed, but Darien collapsed on it instead. She didn't have the heart to move him and left him to sprawl out on it.  
  
Claire had finished her tests on Ed and was going over them with Sloan when they heard a moan from the chair.  
  
Ed stirred. He opened his eyes and saw Claire, "What happened?" Ed groaned, "God, I ache…" He looked around with blurred vision at all the faces staring at him; the memories from earlier rushed at him like a tidal wave. "Oh…OH…oh God…tell me I didn't really do those things and it was all a bad dream?"  
  
"Welcome to my world," said a very groggy Darien as he sat up on the bed. The Official came in with Eberts trailing behind him.  
  
"Ed, why didn't you call?" Claire asked as she rubbed his shoulder.  
  
Ed scratched the back of his neck, "That's the weird thing, I wanted to call, but I just had this feeling that Arnaud had every phone bugged."  
  
"Paranoia…one of the symptoms of the early stages of quicksilver madness," Claire stated. "Wait, I also talked to you every night."  
  
Ed thought for a moment and then shook his head slightly, "It wasn't me, Claire."  
  
Claire and Ed looked at each other confused. "I know," Darien said as he slid off the bed, "Arnaud used the same thing on me to make me believe I was talking to Kevin. He used a voice digitizer thing he has. All he needed was your voice and bam…instinct Ed Tate on the phone."  
  
"Clever," Ed said as he stared off in the distance. Ed suddenly sat up and Claire straightened up too, "What did you and Arnaud talk about?"  
  
"Nothing really, I couldn't talk to you…or him long. Our conversations were always kept short because you…" she shook her head in minor frustration, "…he had studying to do. But he knows about Darien, but nothing about the project or anything that we're working on."   
  
Ed sighed in relief that no information was leaked to Arnaud, "He really had this planned out didn't he?"  
  
"Claire, can you put a monitor in Dr. Tate like you did with Darien?" The Official asked.  
  
Claire looked at Ed, "I've already started redesigning it to detect the new toxin. Ed, how much do you know about the mutation?"  
  
"Well, I uhmm…" Ed rubbed his head where he hit the one way mirror; he looked at his hand and furrowed his brow in skepticism, "Did I really run straight into that window?"  
  
Everyone shook their heads and let out a collective 'yes' to answer Ed. "Terrific," Ed let out a deep sigh and then continued, "The mutation is similar to Darien's except that I crave the counteragent more than Darien did, as you already know. Apparently, the toxin in Darien's blood didn't act like a narcotic to the extent that Arnaud had planned. See, every time Darien went into quicksilver madness he was supposed to return for his fix, like a junkie would do. The desire was supposed to build up to the point where Darien couldn't resist."  
  
"Like a true addict," Hobbes commented.  
  
"Clever," Sloan stated.  
  
"I don't completely understand," said the Official.  
  
"Darien was supposed to be addicted to the counteragent, like a junkie to a drug, but only when the toxin built up in his bloodstream. The junkie needs their fix when the drug is out of their system, but this is the opposite, the fix is needed when the toxin has built up in the body's system." Sloan was doing her best to explain.  
  
"That's what Arnaud told me in Mexico when he explained his scam to me. I was supposed to return here to get my fix to flush out the toxin," Darien said as he thought back to the day which now seems like ages ago.  
  
"And not beat up mimes."  
  
"Or a bicyclist."  
  
"Or a doorman."  
  
"Or an orderly.  
  
"Or toast O'Ryan…well, that was a good thing."  
  
"Enough!" The Official said in his usual gruff tone.  
  
Ed stared at Hobbes and Darien perplexed for a moment and then he continued, "Ah yeah, that's it. When you were in quicksilver madness your body was supposed to crave the counteragent as badly as I did," Ed said weakly.  
  
"But you came here, knowing that Claire didn't have the counteragent," Hobbes said.  
  
"Yes, but I was in the early stages. The craving was there, it just hadn't reached the peek until later," Ed said as he thought back to the battle in his mind, "It was hard though, to fight the urge to go back. But I did it. If I had waited and escaped later, I would've gone back."  
  
"So the gland was supposed to turn Fawkes into a junkie," Hobbes stated again as a comment rather than a question.  
  
"Well, that was his plan," Ed said as he sighed. "Arnaud designed this new gland because of what happened to Darien. His body built up a resistance to the counteragent, this should pretty much fix that problem," Ed looked at Claire, "This is what was supposed to happen to you, Darien. Lucky me, huh?"  
  
"How is that?" Claire asked.  
  
"Well, with the initial tests I ran for Arnaud, I shouldn't build up a resistance per se like Darien did. I'll continue to crave it, just not sure if down the road that means I'll need more of the counteragent or a new stronger one. I've turned into a true junkie now that I've had my first shot of counteragent. Next time the craving maybe stronger. I'll still be violent in the early stages, the craving will take over and then at some point the craving will cease if I don't get the counteragent." Ed was still tired and it showed. All he wanted to do was to go back to sleep and hopefully wake up from this nightmare.  
  
"That's what Claire was thinking. It'll be like when a junkie quits cold-turkey." Sloan said.  
  
"Yeah, that's pretty much it. The question is when will the counteragent not be enough and or will that ever happen? I could go many years and be fine with the current counteragent or it may not be enough at any point," Ed replied with uncertainty in his voice.  
  
There was a morose silence in the room for a few minutes as Ed's news sank in. Claire decided it was time to break the silence, "I'm almost done with the new monitor so it could recognize the new toxin. I did take some blood for tests when Ed knocked himself out," Claire watched as Ed rolled his eyes, she smiled, "The toxin levels were high at that point. I've identified it and I'm making the proper adjustments."  
  
"Do it as soon as possible," the Official turned his gaze to Ed, "I don't want him leaving here without a monitor being implanted."  
  
Ed let out a sigh, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.  
  
"Hey, bro, looks like you're getting a tattoo after all," Darien smirked.   
  
"Keepie, you gonna give him the same one as Fawkes here?" Hobbes asked.  
  
Claire looked at Ed, "I have something a little different in mind for him."  
  
"Oh great," Ed said miserably.  
  
"Oh come on, it won't be that bad." Claire said.  
  
Hobbes thought back to when Darien got his, "Just let me know when you implant it so I won't be around."  
  
Ed looked at Hobbes with a slight look of fear, "Why? What's going to happen?"  
  
"Don't mind him, he doesn't want to see me cutting your wrist open," Claire said as she patted Ed on his shoulder.  
  
"I can't wait," Ed said sarcastically.  
  
"One other thing, doctor," the Official looked at Claire, "There's a Keeper coming in tomorrow morning for Dr. Tate."  
  
Ed looked up, "Whoa…wait, I can make my own counteragent and administer the shots myself."  
  
"Sorry, can't have that. What if you go quicksilver mad, will you be able to give yourself a shot or will you even want to?" The Official answered back.  
  
"But why can't Claire be my Keeper?"  
  
"Because, you and Claire are too close, emotionally, and I can't have that either," the Official turned to Eberts, "I want all of the information pertaining to the new counteragent confiscated. Only the new Keeper is to see this information."  
  
Eberts looked at Claire then at the Official and nodded.  
  
Darien stepped up, "Whoa, hold on. You can't do that."  
  
"This isn't about you, Darien," the Official glared at him.  
  
"Where have I heard that one before? You can't treat him like this," Darien said sternly.  
  
"Watch me," the Official turned his attention to Claire, "If you don't hand everything over, I will have you replaced." He looked at Darien, "And if you get in the way, I will order the removal of the gland. I have a team that will do it without hesitation."  
  
Darien and Claire erupted in defiance.   
  
Ed hollered and the room went quiet. Ed took a hard swallow, "Just give him what he wants."  
  
"No, Ed, I won't do that," Claire protested.  
  
"You're needed here, for Darien," Ed looked at Darien, "And you need to stay alive." Ed looked at Claire, "Please."  
  
Walter walked up to the Official, "Let's talk in private, Charlie."  
  
Everyone watched as the two men walked out. Claire had given everything to Eberts, he looked at it in his hands and gave Ed an apologetic look, "I'm sorry, Dr. Tate."  
  
"Not your fault, Eberts." Ed watched as Eberts left with all the notes.  
  
"Well, so much for me doing that research," Ed said sullenly.   
  
"What just happened here?" Sloan asked.  
  
"The Fat Man just put a leash on Ed," Hobbes said.  
  
"What? I don't understand?" Sloan said confusingly.  
  
"Simple, he has another gland under his nose and he wants to make sure it stays put. He knows that Ed is smart enough to come up with the counteragent or a cure all on his own. He doesn't want that," Darien said.  
  
"He wants a new invisible agent and he's got it, lock, stock and barrel. The best part is, the government didn't pay for it," Hobbes added.  
  
Claire looked at Ed who just stared off into space, "Sweetheart, you okay?"  
  
"Ahh, I'm just…uhmm, still tired," Ed blinked crazily as he tried to hide his emotion, "I uhmm, really would like to go back to sleep."  
  
Claire looked at Darien, she suspected he knew the emotional state Ed was truly in, "You should get some sleep, you went though a lot earlier and your body took a beating. I'll give you a sedative if you want."  
  
Ed looked at her with distant eyes, "Yeah, I think I could use it."  
  
Sloan and Tom came over to Ed. Sloan kissed his cheek and Tom patted him on the shoulder. They both said that they would see Ed in the morning. Ed shook his head, "Okay."  
  
"If it's okay with you, I want to stay," Darien said.  
  
Ed looked at him and forced a half smile, "I would like that."  
  
Claire gave Ed some medication and he took it. Ed handed Claire the glass of water back. "I'll adjust the monitor while you sleep and I'll just go ahead and implant it, okay?"  
  
Ed only nodded his head. He looked away and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to overtake him.  
  
"I'll stick around too, you guys want anything cause it looks like its going to be a long night?" Hobbes said.  
  
Claire and Darien gave Hobbes an order for a late dinner. Hobbes glared at his partner, "You just ate. You still hungry after eating all that food?"  
  
"It's for Ed when he wakes up, he might be hungry later and well, some of it is for me." Darien said with a smirk. Claire and Hobbes stared at him. "What?"  
  
"Where does he put it?" Claire asked.  
  
"High metabolism," Darien said, "Hey, come on, give me a break here."  
  
Hobbes stuffed the paper in his pocket and left the Keep. Darien and Claire remained silent as Ed finally drifted off to sleep.  
  
TBC… 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Darien had watched with curiosity as Claire implanted the monitor and after that, Claire's artistic flare with the tattoo instrument. Ed didn't even flinch as he slept through the entire procedure. He wondered why she had chosen the moray eel for Ed at first and then it all came to him, the ocean, Ed's first love. The very thing that at one time was his escape from reality was now his link to it. The eel tattoo was eerily similar to his own; Claire had used Darien's tattoo as the foundation but added a few extra features, more teeth and the elongated fins that adorn the sea serpent's top and underside. The fins of the eel were in silver, the rest was the same, green segments that turned red at any given moment. Another little feature was that unlike Darien's, Ed's tattoo would also show how long he had left if he were to go into stage 5, the red segments would turn silver.   
  
Darien remembered what Claire had said, "If the entire tattoo turns silver," she had stopped at that point, looked at Ed and her voice choked on the last words, "The gland will have to be harvested."  
  
Darien had taken her hand and calmly said, "Just remember that it won't be him."  
  
Now, as he sat in the Keep watching Ed sleep on the counteragent chair, Claire was upstairs in a meeting with the Official and Walter. "That was some sedative she gave you," Darien smirked.  
  
He wished his senses went far enough so he could hear what was going on in the Official's office. But he knew what the Official wanted and Walter was dead set against it. The thought of the two of them pulling rank on each other and threatening a phone call to the President made him smile. When Claire came back, he knew that she would tell him everything.  
  
Darien sensed the Official's plan when he had returned with not only the counteragent but the formula as well. The Official wants another invisible agent. Like him, Ed wasn't given a choice, but he should have a choice about this.   
  
In the office, Walter argued that the gland in Ed's head was not paid for by the government therefore it isn't government property. The Official's argument is that the gland *is* based on a government project therefore it belongs to the government. Claire argued that Ed should not go out into the field but can best serve the agency as a scientist.  
  
Darien checked his watch, 'This could go on all night.' He looked at Ed, glad that for the first time in probably weeks, he slept peacefully. Knowing what he had gone through himself, that won't last long. Before Claire had gone up to the Official's office, she had given Ed some pain medication to help with the implant incision and the head injury he gave himself when he used his head as a battering ram.   
  
Darien heard the familiar swoosh of the door sliding open. He turned to see Claire come in. He smiled at her, "Hey, how's it going up there?"  
  
Claire went over to Ed and felt his forehead, satisfied that Ed was fine, she pulled up a chair and sat down next to Darien, "I think Walter is going to get his way. The Official wants to use Ed as back up, but I don't think Walter will go for that." She let out a sigh, "I'm so exhausted, this day has been one emotional rollercoaster."  
  
Darien looked at her, "Why don't you go lay down somewhere, I'll watch him. It's not like I don't know what to do or look for. I gave you a shot, twice. I think I can handle Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde over there."  
  
Claire smiled and a slight chuckle escaped her mouth, "He's going to hate that now more than ever." She looked at Ed, "This is like one horrible nightmare that I want to wake up from but can't."  
  
"Arnaud has a way of doing that doesn't he?" Darien took Claire's hand, "I'm sure with your help, he'll be able to come up with a cure."  
  
Claire looked at Darien sorrowfully, "I hope so, Darien, but I just don't know. The Official took everything."  
  
"Look, Ed had a chance to do some tests, maybe he remembers some of what he did and saw."  
  
Claire blinked her eyes successively as if she tried to fight back tears, "Darien, I…" Claire was interrupted when she heard moans from the counteragent chair. She and Darien went to Ed's side immediately.  
  
"Hey, sleepy head, want to get up and go home?" Claire said rubbing Ed's shoulder.  
  
Ed's eyes showed great pain, not physical pain, but emotional pain. He stared at Darien first and then at Claire, "Is it okay, I mean, I won't go crazy?"  
  
"Sweetheart, that's why I gave you the monitor and the tattoo, look," she pointed to the all green eel on his right wrist, "see, it's all green, that means you are far from quicksilver madness."  
  
Ed took a hard swallow, "An eel? How do you know its working?"  
  
Darien put a reassuring hand on Ed's shoulder, "She knows, you can trust her."  
  
"I can't trust myself," Ed said dolefully.   
  
Claire looked at Darien and they locked eyes for a moment. Darien turned to Ed, "Come on, let's go talk."  
  
Ed pursed his lips together like a kid being forced to do something he didn't want to do. He reluctantly slid off the counteragent chair and Claire handed him his shoes. He put them on and followed Darien out the Keep. Claire watched with heartache as Darien put his arm around Ed's shoulder and Ed put his hands in his pockets. They had more in common now than before, and quietly, they walked out the door. Claire finally alone, she fell on the chair and broke down, she cursed Arnaud.  
  
Darien led Ed down the hall and to another lab. Ed watched as Darien grabbed two chairs and placed one in front of Ed. He sat down and looked up to see that Ed just stood there and stared at the chair. "Hey, uhmm…it won't bite," Darien said as he motioned for Ed to sit.  
  
With a sorrowful sigh, Ed sat down. His head lowered, Ed stared at his folded hands, "Is this how it was for you, in the beginning I mean?"  
  
"Yeah, but worse, my brother was murdered and I had that to deal with, oh and the fact that Casey left me." Darien looked at Ed who hadn't moved, "Look, I know this isn't going to be easy for you."  
  
"I know, but," Ed paused.  
  
"The fear is what has a hold of you now. The fear of hurting those you care about and not being able to stop yourself."  
  
Ed looked up, "I could have killed Tom and Sloan, oh and that other guy," Ed rolled his head back, "My God, Sloan, if Hobbes hadn't come when he did, I…" Ed shook his head, "How can I face them after what I did, tried to do?" Ed was not a violent person by nature and the events earlier in the day frightened him. The visions of him strangling Tom to near death and the way he had responded towards Sloan were still very vivid in his mind.  
  
"They know it wasn't you, not the real you anyway. Look, that's where you have it easy, they've known you for a long time and know what you're really like." Darien watched Ed for a moment. He felt a lot of remorse coming from Ed. "The madness takes away your conscious. You end up doing things or saying things that you normally wouldn't. That's the whole point of it, that's the leash. It keeps you under control because you don't want to do those things again or now in your case, go through the pain of withdrawals. That's probably why Arnaud chose you, cause he knew what kind of a person you are."  
  
Ed half smiled, "Yeah, what I did and those awful things I said were not something I would normally do. I guess I'm on a leash now and that leash is fear. And not to mention the pain I went through, I certainly don't want to go through that again."  
  
"That is something that never gets easy. I almost killed Hobbes and tried to hurt Claire. The fear never goes away that one day; you won't get the counteragent in time. Claire put that monitor in you to prevent that from happening." Darien pointed to Ed's new tattoo.  
  
Ed ran his finger over it, "Weird, that she chose this little guy. You know eels are actually shy, timid creatures and only attack when provoked or feel threatened. They have poor eyesight and really can't see that far in front of them, unless some diver decides to stick their finger in its face." Ed didn't look up at Darien; he just continued to stare at his tattoo as he spoke. "Kakua."  
  
Darien cocked his head to one side, "Kahlua?"  
  
Ed smiled, "No, kakua, that's Hawaiian for tattoo and 'puhi' is Hawaiian for moray eel."  
  
"You never told me you spoke Hawaiian."  
  
"I'm not fluent. I did spend about six months there after I got my doctorate. It was a much needed vacation and a treat." Ed fondly remembered. "I had a friend over there and he tried to teach me, but I only remember a few words and phrases. I figured while I was there might as well." Ed shrugged his shoulders.  
  
Darien shook his head in agreement, "I don't blame you there."  
  
"But I take it you missed the Pidgin I was speaking in the padded cell?" Ed asked with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, but I uhmm…heard about it." It was Darien's turn to smile. "You got a language there, doc."  
  
Ed let out a soft chuckle and then gazed at his symbol of his new life, "You know, there's a legend about a giant moray eel?"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, it's Micronesian though, from the Marshall Islands," Ed paused, "I'll tell you about it another day, it's long but it has to do with a giant, a wise man, a giant mother eel, a halo and a father who wanted to bless his favorite son."  
  
"Can't wait to hear this one," Darien smiled.  
  
Ed looked down, "I guess I'm more like this moray eel than just being shy. Looks like I have a nasty bite too.   
  
"Uh-huh," Darien smiled, "Hobbes said you had Tom in one hell of a hold there, my friend."  
  
"Well, under other circumstances I would have taken that as a compliment." Ed thought for a moment and then smiled, "Thank you."  
  
Darien chuckled, "I know what you mean, bro." Darien leaned forward in his chair, "You're pretty smart, I'm sure you can up with something to help you out."  
  
Ed shook his head, "Thanks, Darien, but…I had a good look at Arnaud's notes. I'm addicted to the gland, taking it out now would be like implanting an organ that was not compatible with my body."  
  
"Well, Arnaud did have his gland removed."  
  
"Different scenario. Arnaud didn't intend on leaving the gland in his head. He was merely testing it and used himself as a guinea pig. It was modified differently, he wasn't addicted to it and it was improperly implanted to begin with. I saw his notes and the history. I didn't see the procedure that Chrysalis used, he kept that away from me, but still, it wouldn't work anyway." Ed sighed deeply, "But, that's all mute since that's research I won't be doing. The Official saw to that tonight or yesterday, whenever it was."  
  
"I didn't think of all that. I've always wondered how Chrysalis managed to remove the gland."  
  
"You're not the scientist, I am. I have to prepare myself that the tests won't give me any real solutions and that my Keeper," Ed rolled his eyes, stood up and paced around, "Damn, this is right up my alley, Arnaud gave me the riddle of a lifetime to figure out and I can't even touch it." Ed looked at Darien. He ran his hands through his hair from front to back. His fingers lightly ran over the scar. Ed sat back down. He was in deep thought.  
  
Darien looked at him, "You think it will work the same?"  
  
Ed looked at him quickly, "Huh?"  
  
"The uhmm…gene therapy that was used on me to cure quicksilver madness," Darien said.  
  
Ed shook his head, "I gotta remember you can do that," Ed paused. "I'm not sure, but it certainly is a starting point for me isn't it?"  
  
"Ed…what are you planning? I mean, I could read your mind again, but…you're not serious…are you?"  
  
"You bet your spiked up hairdo I am. Why not? I am the invisible man part 2 aren't I?"  
  
Darien smiled, "I'll help ya."  
  
"I'm counting on it," Ed smiled.  
  
"Right, so when do we go in?"  
  
"When my Keeper gets all the information from Eberts. I'll type out everything I can remember from my time with Arnaud. I already have all the records from Claire on the gene therapy she used on you. Once I get what I need, I can start my research."  
  
"Now you're talking," Darien said with a smirk. "That's the Ed Tate I know, the one that doesn't give up without a fight."  
  
Ed had a half smile on his face, "That's not how I feel on the inside. I feel like I'm two different people now. I've never faced anything like this before, the uncertainty of the gland. I have no control over it, well, basically I do, but you know what I mean."  
  
"The monitor will work. As long as you don't use quicksilver, only one segment should turn each day. Claire or your Keeper won't let you go beyond seven red segments, so you really don't have anything to worry about, unless you have premature invisibility." Darien paused then continued, "Go home with her, Ed."  
  
"You read my mind again?" Ed asked.  
  
"Didn't have to," Darien said, "Look, you won't start stage one until seven are red and stage two won't start until you're at nine. Every six days you'll get your shot, so only six will be red, off course, as long as you don't quicksilver." Darien winked at Ed.  
  
"I do want to go home, but,"  
  
"I know, I know, but you can't stay here and hide from the world. You'll be fine, Ed. You've already got something that I didn't have. I lived alone, you have Claire with you."  
  
Ed looked down at the floor, "Not sure if that's good idea or not. I don't want to hurt her…again."   
  
"You know what the signs are, just don't go anywhere without the counteragent. Besides, she carries a really big gun."  
  
Ed chuckled. "Speaking of counteragent, how did you get Arnaud to give it to you? I didn't think he would be that cooperative," Ed said gazing at Darien.  
  
"Well, oddly enough he was very willing to give it to me," Darien said.  
  
Ed thought for a moment, "Hard to believe that he would give up that information so quickly and easily."  
  
"Well, I don't think he had a choice. There's someone else out there who was interested, they attacked us and blew up Arnaud's house. I think they wanted information on the gland as well. I can't help but get the feeling that we were set up," Darien said unfolding his legs.  
  
"Really? Who?" Ed asked wondering what would happen now.  
  
"That's just it, I don't know," Darien leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, "But something tells me, we'll find out sooner or later, we always do."  
  
Ed didn't say a word, just stared off into space. He looked at Darien, "Make me a promise, Darien."  
  
Darien looked at Ed, "I know, Ed. Believe me, I'll do it, if it comes down to that. I asked Claire the same thing."  
  
Ed glanced down at the floor, "Will Claire be so willing to make me that promise?"  
  
"Yeah, I think she would. She wouldn't want you to suffer," Darien said staring at Ed. He knew exactly how Ed felt. This was bringing back memories for him. He had a similar discussion with Claire and he could sense the emotional distraught in Ed.  
  
Ed sat silent for a moment. Darien wanted to read his mind, but decided not to. He would just wait until Ed spoke first. It didn't take long.  
  
"I do want to go home," Ed said.   
  
Darien got up and helped Ed stand up, "Come on. I'll take you back to Claire."   
  
The two men where halfway down the hall when Darien spoke, "So, have you quicksilvered objects yet?"  
  
"Yeah, I did all that. Arnaud did his best to teach me. He wanted to make sure everything was working and more importantly, that I could shut it off." Ed paused and then added sullenly, "And he wanted to make sure that the mutation worked and does it ever."  
  
Darien patted Ed on the back, "How 'bout we start some biofeedback lessons. I'm sure there were things that even Arnaud couldn't teach you."  
  
Ed smiled, "Like how to control premature invisibility."  
  
"Hmm… 'fraid I haven't figured that one out yet."  
  
"So, I have 30 minutes of quicksilver time by myself…that means with Claire, I only have 15 minutes…hardly enough time."  
  
Darien snickered, "I know a bitch ain't it?"  
  
"A cruel joke, 'quickies' are not my thing."  
  
~*~  
  
Darien walked into the house and Darcy was waiting for him. She ran up to him, "How's Ed doing?"  
  
He hugged her. "It depends on the moment," Darien said as he walked to the kitchen carrying a brown bag.  
  
Darcy studied him, "I don't understand."  
  
Darien pulled out a six pack and put in the refrigerator, "Well, he was afraid to go home with Claire, which is understandable. Then we talked and he was cool and all with it…"  
  
"But…" Darcy folded her arms.  
  
"But…later tonight when he goes to sleep and has his first nightmare…" he held Darcy in his arms again, "His gonna freak out."  
  
"Is that why you bought the beer?" Darcy kissed him quickly on the lips.  
  
"Yeah, I figure I'll give him, oh say about…" Darien looked at his watch, "…two hours and then I'll go over there with the beer and we'll talk some more."  
  
"He's lucky to have someone like you to talk to, you know what he's going through," Darcy said as she sat down on the couch.  
  
"You don't mind do you? I mean, with me being out almost all night." He sat close to her.  
  
"Only if you spend the next two hours with me," she smiled seductively.  
  
Darien tugged on her night shirt, "That won't be a problem." Then he stopped, "Oh hey, what did you hear from Mark?"  
  
"You're gonna go and spoil the moment aren't you?" Darcy half pouted.  
  
"Sorry, babe, but you know it concerns us," Darien said looking at her with his puppy dog look.  
  
"OH…I hate it when you do that!" Darcy said waving her arms in the air.  
  
"Still works, huh?" Darien grinned like the Cheshire cat.  
  
Darcy looked at him depressed, "It doesn't look good, Darien. Senator Allen is gaining momentum in the Senate and has supporters in the House as well. Darien, I'm scared, I really am. I don't know what will happen if this bill passes."  
  
"Well, maybe the President will veto it," Darien said with concern.  
  
Darcy shook her head, "I'm not sure anymore. Mark says he's being pressured to sign it into law."  
  
"Oh crap." Darien leaned back on the couch and then he looked at Darcy, "Mark isn't going to ask you to go Washington again is he?"  
  
"I told him no, I want to be here with you just in case," Darcy hugged Darien tight. He wrapped his arms around her and let out a deep sigh, "You want a beer?"  
  
Darcy gazed up at him, "You know what the surgeon general says about pregnant women and alcohol."  
  
He smiled, "I was kidding." He pushed her up and brushed the hair from her face, "We'll get married before anything happens, I promise. Maybe with me being the government's ultimate secret weapon, we'll have diplomatic immunity or something like that."  
  
"Darien, that may not be enough, I mean, we have no idea what will happen. If this bill passes and the President signs it, then other countries will follow," Darcy sounded generally concerned.  
  
"Guess all that UN stuff Walter got for Mark five years ago means squat right now." Darien looked at her with concern of his own, "I want you to stay close to home as much as possible and keep in touch with me. You're right, we can't trust the government."  
  
Darcy sat up and straddled Darien, "Make love to me."  
  
Darien held her shoulders and pulled her down for a passionate kiss. For the moment, he was going to help Darcy forget about what their future may hold.  
  
TBC…. 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
Ed sat on the beach watching the waves roll in. He took a long drink of his beer while two bottles were already empty and sat in the carton next to him. He turned his head around when he sensed someone coming up from behind him. He looked up at the tall silhouette standing next to him, "How'd you know?"  
  
"You have a gland in your head that makes you go insane if you don't get a shot," Darien sat down next to Ed with a six pack in his hand, "And since I know the whole routine, I figured that by now, you had a nightmare."  
  
Ed smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, I did, a bad one too."  
  
"So ends the dreams of being naked standing in front of women throwing little pickles at you," Darien unscrewed the cap off of a beer and held it up to Ed, "Here's to quicksilver glands."  
  
Ed tapped his beer to Darien's and they drank. Ed chuckled, "You know in college I was called 'Chris Knight'."  
  
"Welcome to Pacific Tech's smart people on ice!"   
  
"Although, we never turned a hallway into an ice rink," Ed smiled. "I wasn't like that character," Ed caught Darien's glance, "well, okay maybe I was a little like him. I didn't wear bunny slippers or things on my head or was as open with the girls like he was. But I guess in the sense of his attitude I was like that, didn't have to study hard, dressed different from everyone else, no 'I'm smarter than you' type ego…I was pretty much a loner. I didn't belong to any certain clique you know. Even in High School, I was always the odd man out. I wasn't stuffed in garbage cans or anything like that. I was too tall and athletic for that. Laguna Beach High was the only high school in the district, in fact it still is. It has a college preparatory program so a lot of the kids that go there are smart to begin with. But still, I intimated the kids in the 'normal' classes and couldn't stand the ones in the AP classes. Even the girls were kind of odd in the AP classes I took. But in the regular classes, they didn't click with me. Most had the material attitude, like 'when I graduate I want to find a doctor or lawyer,' you know?"  
  
"So, you never brought any girls up to your room is what you're saying?"  
  
Ed blushed, "I did, I wasn't completely a geek you know." Ed took a sip of his beer and stared off at the ocean.  
  
"She was pretty, huh?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The girl you brought up to your room," Darien said as he stared at Ed.  
  
Ed smiled, "Yeah, she was pretty and a cheerleader too."  
  
Darien held up his beer, "Congratulations, you the man!" They tapped beer bottles, "Hey, did Laguna Beach have a surfing team?"  
  
Ed shook his head, "No, just swimming and water polo, although the school's nickname at one point was the 'Breakers' it was changed the following year to the 'Artists' because the area was founded as an artist's colony."  
  
Darien got a disgusted look on his face, "'Artists' man, you guys were better off with the 'Breakers' nickname."  
  
"I know, it really doesn't sound menacing does it, 'Dude, the Artists are gonna kick your butt tonight!'" Ed shook his head, "It seriously lacks doesn't it?"  
  
"Totally," Darien smirked.  
  
Ed laughed, "Yeah, people picture Picasso or someone like that as our school mascot with a paint brush as a weapon. It didn't help that our school colors are like burgundy and white…not good. We did get teased a lot from the kids at other schools."  
  
"I can see why." Darien studied Ed for a moment, he saw so much of Kevin in him, "So, you were smart then too, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, school was hard though. It's like in the top 10% of California schools so the curriculum is tough."  
  
"What kind of courses did you take?"  
  
Ed gazed at Darien, his brow creased quizzically, "Do you really want to know?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm interested. What kind of courses do smart people take?" Darien looked at Ed like he was an interviewer asking someone a very important question.  
  
Ed chuckled, "Okay, here goes. Because I wanted to go on to med school, I had to take, not in any specific order, Government and Economics. English, very boring and most of my History and English classes were AP. I took pre-calculus, calculus, and geometry. For Laboratory Science, it was biology, chemistry and physics," Ed took a quick glance over at Darien and laughed, "What's the matter? You did ask."  
  
"I'm with ya, kind of, well, you lost me at pre-calculus." Darien was lost and if it wasn't dark, Ed would have seen the smoke coming out of his ears as his brain just suffered a major melt down.  
  
"You're smarter than you think you are, Darien," Ed said looking at Darien with a smile.  
  
"That's what Kevin said to me before he died." Darien took a long hard drink of his beer.  
  
Ed looked down at the sand, "I'm sorry, I uh…I didn't mean to bring up a bad memory."  
  
"Not your fault. I have a constant reminder anyway," Darien pointed to his head. "Okay, so tell me more about high school, but not your classes."  
  
Ed chuckled as he tried to peel the label off the beer bottle, "Well, okay, the surfers didn't like me cause to them I was a geek and since I didn't compete, they didn't like that either."  
  
"You didn't compete? Why?" Darien asked.  
  
"Didn't want to," Ed chuckled, "I was more of what they call the 'soul surfer', I was in it for the joy." Ed held up his hand and made the 'shaka' sign, "Brah, it's about being in the green womb of the Big Mama, to go to church and pray in the whirling cathedral," Ed said in the typical surfer tone.  
  
Darien shook his head and chuckled softly, "Okay, so what does all that mean?"  
  
Ed smiled, "Basically, it means that I just enjoy surfing because of the love for the ocean and not for the money and advertisers. Surfing was a way of life for the Polynesians when they started back in 400 A.D. But, I did model surfing gear while in college, from clothes to boards. It was an easy way for me to earn some extra money."  
  
"Really, that's funny, I was a head model for local salons," Darien said.  
  
Ed laughed, "I can picture that," Ed took a sip of his beer, "Do you believe in fate?"  
  
"Depends, why?"  
  
"One of the companies I modeled clothes for was called 'Quiksilver' but without the 'c'."  
  
"You're kidding me?"  
  
"Nope, I swear. It's true. They're still around and in fact I still wear their trunks."  
  
"How come you didn't say anything before?"  
  
"It had occurred to me when I first heard about the gland, but with everything that was going on, it slipped my mind. Until now." Ed took another sip. "I didn't change much in college either. I was the same shy guy who didn't fit any mold, just my own. I met Sloan in college; we took a course together when we were studying bio-anthropology. It was our junior year. We were in the same class that Ann Coulter taught,"  
  
"You mean, the lady that was killed?" Darien asked.  
  
"Yeah, that's her. She was a great teacher. She really saw a lot of potential in Sloan and confided in her a lot. But anyway, about Sloan, I now know since falling in love with Claire that the chemistry between Sloan and me wasn't there. I had hoped it would develop, but it never did. We just developed a friendship and I didn't want just that. I wanted more. She showed no signs of wanting to go further and since she was one of very few friends I had, I didn't push it until we both landed jobs at the lab."  
  
"How did you get those jobs?"  
  
"Ann recommended us. I thought she was going to make me wear dress shirts and ties, but she didn't, she just told me to shave, not wear cut offs and my hair had to stay off my shoulders."  
  
Darien chuckled.  
  
"You know the odd thing about all this is, when you became a dominant, you entered my world, now I'm in yours. I'm in love with Claire and you're in love with Darcy. It's like we trade off something in the worlds we live in," Ed furrowed his brow in confusion, "did that make sense or is it the beer talking now?"  
  
"Nah, I understand, Darcy came from your world and Claire came from mine. So it makes sense," Darien said as he leaned back on the sand. "We were both thrown into something we didn't ask for and for some reason it all came together."  
  
"We both work for fat men, even though he has his own short comings, I would pick Walter any day, it's his superior I don't trust. That bitch." Ed took a sip of beer.  
  
Darien looked at Ed for a moment, "I don't need to look at your tattoo to know that you're not anywhere near QSM, so where did that come from?"  
  
Ed held up his empty beer bottle, "From the three beers I've had so far." Ed reached over and grabbed another one.  
  
Darien looked up at the house and then back at Ed, "Good thing you're already home, I don't think you should be driving." Darien finished off his beer and grabbed another one also. He wasn't about to tell Ed that he's had enough, he knew what Ed was going through and for right now, this was how Ed was handling it. Darien would stay to make sure Ed made it back up to the house and didn't wind up in the ocean. Ed had made some progress earlier when they first talked, but he knew that once Ed had his first nightmare, it would all unravel, and it did.  
  
Darien knew that Ed was about to crash and crash hard. He could feel the emotion building up inside. Ed nearly downed the beer in one gulp. "Hey, easy there," he put his hand on Ed's shoulder, "Why don't you just let it out, it'll help, I know."  
  
Ed looked at Darien, fear overtaking his expression. His breathing became heavy and his chest rose and fell deeply. "Darien, I…I…can't go through that again…it hurt so bad…I remember…I remembered every thing I did!" Ed stood up and ran to the shore line; the waves crashed in but didn't overpower his cries.  
  
Darien got up and ran after him, he saw Ed stop short of the shoreline as the waves rolled in over his feet.  
  
"Damn you, Arnaud!!! You bastard, how could you do this to me?!!!" Ed tossed his beer into the ocean, "You bastard!" Ed fell to his knees; he picked up some sand and threw that back into the ocean, "ARNAUD!!!" Ed yelled at the top of his lungs.  
  
Darien turned around and saw Claire standing on the porch, her hands covering her mouth. He turned his attention back to Ed who was now pounding the ground with his fists. He knelt down beside him, "Go on…keep going."  
  
"Damn him…damn him…bastard…that bastard…" Ed looked up at Darien, tears streamed down his face, his body broke out in a sweat. "I can't …Darien…oh God…I can't…why…why did he do this…" Ed lowered his head so it touched the sand and cried, "I can't…I can't…"  
  
Darien wrapped his arm around Ed, "Let it all out, you'll feel better." Darien looked at Claire as she made her way down to the shore line. Darien felt Ed's body shake and he held him tighter. Darien didn't have any one to turn to, at least he could be there for Ed. Darien maybe the younger one between them, but right now, he was Ed's protector.  
  
Ed felt another hand on his back, he looked up and saw Claire, fear gripped him and he jumped to his feet, "NO…get away from me…don't come near me!" He took off running down the beach.  
  
"ED!!" Claire called out to him, but he didn't stop.  
  
"Oh crap," Darien got up and ran after Ed.  
  
Claire stood there and watched Darien chase after Ed. Soon they both disappeared into the darkness. All she could do was hope that he wouldn't do anything foolish and that Darien would be able to stop him if he did.  
  
Ed was fast, faster than Darien thought. He knew that jogging was part of Ed's exercise routine, but he didn't expect this burst of energy with three beers in his system. "Ed, stop!"  
  
"No…I have to stay away from her!"  
  
"Damn it, will you stop!"  
  
Ed stopped and turned to face Darien, he was barely huffing. Darien shook his head and put his hands on his hips, "Damn, you're fast."  
  
"What do you want, Darien, to talk, to drink, to tell me it's going to be alright! It's not, okay? I'm a walking ID waiting to explode! You should know how that feels!"  
  
"I do, Ed, why the hell do you think I'm here chasing your ass down the beach?! Cause I do know! I know what's going through your mind, the uncertainty, the fear, the fear that you'll kill the ones you love, that's part of it, it sucks I know, but that's how it is!" Darien walked towards Ed. "Just don't run anymore okay. You can't escape it."  
  
"I don't want to end up a permanent resident in the nut hatch. I don't want to kill Claire."  
  
"Tell me your dream, Ed, what happened?"  
  
"No, I can't, don't you understand? I don't want to remember, so that if I go crazy I won't do…" Ed stopped the images of his dream filled his mind. "My God, Darien you have to stop me…"  
  
Darien walked closer, "Stop you from what?"  
  
"From raping her," Ed looked at his hands, "The blood, so much blood," Ed moved his hands like he was trying to get something off, "I can't get it off me," he sprinted off and dove into the ocean.  
  
"ED!" Darien chased after him, but didn't see him, "Damn it, Ed, if you die, I'll kill you myself!" Darien stopped, "What am I doing…focus…focus…" Darien looked in the direction where he sensed Ed, "Got you." He kicked off his shoes and ran into the surf just as Ed resurfaced. "Ed, come on, get out of the ocean," Darien said as he approached Ed.  
  
"I can't wash it off, Darien, why won't it come off?" Ed went under again.  
  
"Aww…damn!" Darien reached the spot wear Ed was. Ed resurfaced and he grabbed him by his shirt, "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"It won't come off," Ed said in a frightened tone.  
  
Darien helped Ed to the shore and they stood there. Darien had a grip on Ed's arms, "Damn it, don't you ever pull a stunt like that again."  
  
"I wasn't trying to kill myself…the blood, I was trying to get it off, it's all over me," Ed said as he looked at himself.  
  
Darien looked sadly at him, "Ed, you can't let it control you, don't quit."  
  
"I can't beat this, Darien, I can't."  
  
"Yes, you can."  
  
"No, this is different," Ed shrugged Darien's hands off him, "You didn't have the pain I did. You're…you're stronger than me." Ed walked away from Darien.  
  
"It doesn't matter; it's the same dreams, the same fear."  
  
Ed turned around to face Darien again, "Okay, you want to know what I dreamed? I'll tell you. I raped her over and over, and then I killed her with my bare hands like some wild animal. Satisfied?"   
  
"It's a dream, Ed, not real, you won't kill her."  
  
Ed held his arms out, "How do you know that I won't, huh?" Ed walked towards Darien, "Can you promise me I won't kill her?"  
  
"Yes. I can promise you that because there are people around you who do care and will watch over you. That's why I know that you won't kill her."  
  
Ed looked into Darien's eyes. He saw sincerity in them. Ed looked back at the ocean and then back to Darien and ran his hand through his wet hair, "I'm sorry."  
  
Darien put a hand on his hip and put the other one on Ed's shoulder, "It happens, just don't do that again. Come on, Claire is probably worried." Darien walked with Ed, "And when she sees us soaking wet, then she'll be pissed."  
  
Ed smiled, "Can't say that I won't blame her. I don't know what came over me."  
  
"Like I've been tellin' you, the fear, it grabs you and takes hold. I know. I freaked out too when I had a dream about killing Hobbes…"  
  
"Only a dream, huh?" Ed smirked.  
  
Darien hit him on the back of his head. "Oww! Hey, I was kidding," Ed said as he rubbed his head.  
  
"Look, this thing, it makes you act irrational and do strange things. I had a fear of donuts for a long time."  
  
Ed looked at Darien oddly, "Okay, I have a fear of killing Claire and you're fear was donuts…somewhere in there is logic. What a donut told you to kill Hobbes? Was it like in that 'Young Sherlock Holmes' movie where the pastries attacked young Watson?"  
  
Darien smiled as he remembered the scene, "Something like that," he stopped walking and faced Ed, "Ed, you're right, I didn't experience the pain you had, you're getting what was meant for me, but you're just as strong as I am. Everything else is the same though, the unknown, the knowledge that you might become immune to the counteragent somehow and then someone is digging for gold inside your head. That never goes away, even for me now, there's always fear, fear that it'll come back, that there's still people out there who want what's inside my head. I may go to sleep one night and never wake up. It's there with me 24/7." Darien started to walk and Ed followed. "You're a tough dude, I've seen you stand up to people, hell you stood up to Lewis and the Council, you kidnapped me…"  
  
Ed rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well…"  
  
Darien continued, "Fought dominants, stood up to Tom, got the Spanish flu and survived…"  
  
Ed pursed his lips together, "I know but…"  
  
"But nothin'…you've been shot, frozen, injected with that weird drug from Lewis, kidnapped more times than you count on one hand…"  
  
"Please don't remind me, I feel like the poster boy for bad luck. Guess I'm making up for all those quiet days I had before this whole thing started."  
  
Darien stopped and tapped him on the shoulder, "You surfed the Pipeline on Oahu and those waves are like three times your height, not to mention the dangerous lava reefs…Ed, that is not a place for beginners, it's for pros and those who are like kamikazes, even I know that." Darien pointed his finger at Ed, "Now that, my friend, is showing no fear."  
  
Ed smiled and looked down, "Well…"  
  
"Look, you made it through those times and you'll make it through this…I did and I still am trying to make it through."  
  
"Yeah, but…I guess this is just another mountain to climb."  
  
"Yeah, and speaking of mountains to climb, there's Claire."  
  
"Oh crap."  
  
"Bro, this is beyond crap. This is sleep on the couch kind of crap."  
  
"Terrific."  
  
"Hold on, don't run away again. I'll talk to her," Darien walked towards Claire leaving Ed standing by himself. He turned to make sure that Ed was still there and he waved to him to stay put. Ed kicked the sand with his bare feet and put his hands in his pockets. He looked like the kid who broke the neighbor's window.  
  
Claire looked at Darien confused, "Darien, thank God you found him, is he okay?" Claire paused, "You're all wet…did he jump in the water?" Claire sounded frantic.  
  
"Yes, but he's going to be fine. He wasn't trying to kill himself, just trying to wash the dream away. Look, he had a nightmare and it really freaked him out…"  
  
Claire went to go to Ed when Darien stopped her. "No, Claire, the dream was about you and he's still a little freaked about it. I'm sure you can understand that?" Darien hinted at the dream that Claire had weeks ago before this happened, she nodded. "Good, look, uhmm…I'm going to sit him down so we can talk some more. I'll keep my eye on him, I promise."  
  
"Okay, I understand," Claire glanced down at the empty beer bottles; she knew he threw one in the ocean. Claire looked back up at Darien with a worried look.  
  
"I doubt he's going to become an alcoholic, look, he's trying to deal with this the best way he knows how at the moment. I did the same thing. We'll talk, we'll drink, we'll pass out…that's what guys do. Go back up to the house, you can watch us if you want. I promise no more swimming tonight."  
  
"You promise, because if anything happens to him I'll personally hold you responsible," Claire shook her finger at Darien.  
  
Darien shook his head and raised his hands, he shot her his puppy dog eye look, "I promise, Scout's honor."  
  
"Yeah, well that normally would work, but you were not a Scout." Claire looked at Ed who looked back at her and then back to the sand. She gave Darien another stern look before heading back to the house.  
  
"Oh, Claire, can you bring us out a couple of blankets," Darien asked. But the reply was the same look she gave him when he broke the beaker full of oral counteragent, cut his finger and then asked for a band aid. "Okay, then, Ed and I will get blankets."  
  
Darien and Ed grabbed their beer and headed up to the house. Ed got some blankets and the two men sat down on the porch. They each had a blanket wrapped around them to keep them warm. Darien popped opened another beer and handed it to Ed, "Go on, tell me more about Sloan."  
  
"Uhhmm…yeah…okay…you know the first time I looked in Claire's eyes, I knew it, I knew that I had to get to know her. It was like all those years of chasing Sloan and the jealousy over Tom washed away in that moment. I got that feeling in my gut and the pounding in my chest when I saw her for the very first time."  
  
"Well, I know what you mean about the pounding in your chest, with Claire though, it was a dart and not Cupid's arrow."  
  
Ed laughed, "I remember you telling me that. That's funny."  
  
"Yeah, I can look back on that now and laugh."  
  
Ed became serious, "Darien, I think I may have found a way to cure your gland once and for all. But I'll need to run extensive tests before I know for sure."  
  
"What?"  
  
Ed shook his head, "Yeah, I did get a good look at the gland and Arnaud's notes from his own gland. I think I can do gene therapy using retroviral vectors and fix it so that it's normal."  
  
"What about the gland in your head? Can't you fix that too? I know that you don't have Claire's research but can't you use Arnaud's gland as a model to help you?"  
  
"Eventually, but I didn't know what Arnaud was going to do at the time. So, I concentrated on finding the cure for you. If I can get her research, pinpoint how the mutation works, then yes, I can probably find a cure for me. But in the meantime, I may have found the way to help you. Then I can give you the genogenesis therapy." Ed noticed that Darien had turned his gaze away from him, "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm glad that you might be able to fix the gland, but…"  
  
"But returning you back to human is the issue?"  
  
"Yes, I don't know if you know this, but there's a Senator in Washington who is pushing for a bill to be passed that will force dominants to reveal themselves and register, Darcy knows more about it than I do."  
  
"What? You've got to be kidding me?" Ed was shocked at what Darien told him.   
  
"Yeah, I know, hard to believe. But that's not the main reason, Darcy's pregnant."  
  
Ed's eyes lit up, "Whoa…great news, congratulations! When did you find out?"  
  
"Thanks. I found out about it nearly two weeks ago. I guess dominant women show signs of pregnancy earlier. "   
  
Ed frowned, "I was still with Arnaud." Ed thought for a moment, "That would be consistent with what we know about dominant women. Hmmm…since Darcy was human and she does have only one uterus, I would imagine that she's only having one child, unless of course…"  
  
Darien raised his hands, "Whoa…hold on there, don't you ever shut your scientific mind off?"  
  
Ed smiled, "Sorry, Darien, that's why I didn't have too many friends. I was always in the scientist mode, except when I surfed."  
  
"It's okay. Actually, Claire and Sloan have the same theory that she may have released multiple eggs or something like that." Darien paused and took a long deep breath, "I have to do what's best for the kid you know."  
  
"Hmm…you know after the baby is born I might be able to give the three of you the therapy."   
  
"I don't know, Ed…It's not that I don't want it, I don't know what's going to happen if this bill passes." Darien sounded disheartened.  
  
"Wait, you don't think that they'll round up dominants do you?" Ed asked in disbelief. It had suddenly occurred to him that five years ago this would have come as great news, but now, it didn't seem right. He's met far too many dominants who risked their own lives to save his and most of them had become friends, close friends. But then, isn't that why he developed the genogenesis therapy, to wipe out a species? Ed remembered what he had said to Walter so long ago, 'If they can turn us into them, why can't we turn them into us?'  
  
Darien knew what Ed was thinking and he shied away from Ed. He didn't blame Ed for this, he only did what he thought was best at the time. Ed had just been kidnapped and nearly killed by Copeland. They had discovered the fatal plans of Copeland to destroy the immune systems of children and to release the Spanish Influenza on an unsuspecting world. Ed had every right to be angry and want revenge for what happened to Kelly. Ed was in a struggle for survival, if he was in Ed's shoes, he would have done the same thing.   
  
Darien gazed at Ed with concern, "I don't know, Ed. I don't know what they plan on doing."  
  
~*~  
  
Claire woke up and Ed wasn't there. She sighed and grabbed for her robe. She went down the stairs and saw Pavlov wagging his tail at the glass doors. "Need to go outside?" She asked and opened the door, she stepped outside and that's when she saw them. Her hand covered her mouth as she stifled a laugh. "I've got to get a camera," she commented to herself. The sight of Darien and Ed passed out on the porch kept her from getting angry with them. Darien was right though; they did drink and pass out. They each had finished off their six pack. She wondered how long they had stayed up talking. But at least they were able get to the lounge chairs.  
  
Ed was on his stomach with one arm hanging over the side and a foot sticking out from the blanket. Darien was on his back, head tilted to one side and snoring like a banshee. Their shirts and pants were hanging over the railing and she hoped they had at least left their underwear on. She shook her head back and forth as she pictured these two stripping on the porch drunk or at least close to it. It must have been a sight and now she was sorry she missed it.  
  
Claire walked back inside and called Darcy to let her know that Darien was okay. She quickly got her camera and snapped off a few pictures before any of them woke up. Pavlov scampered back in and Claire went upstairs to get ready for work.  
  
Darien stirred a short time later and he looked around trying to get his bearings. Then he remembered and looked over at Ed, "Good, you're still there." Darien sat up and rubbed his head, "Oh man, this is going to be a long day…" he stopped and he perked up, "Coffee…I smell coffee," he got up slowly, grabbed his pants to put them on and walked into the kitchen. There was a fresh pot of coffee waiting for them. Darien smiled, "Thanks, Claire, just what the doctor ordered." He fixed himself a cup and sat down to read the paper.  
  
Claire came down stairs and stopped; at first she couldn't tell if it was Darien or Ed. Darien looked up and smiled, "I'm Darien."  
  
Claire smiled and blushed, "I couldn't tell at first." She walked towards Darien, "I guess he's still sleeping."  
  
"Yeah, it's best to just let him sleep it off. He won't have a bad hangover, but he'll have one…like me."  
  
Claire leaned down and kissed him on his cheek, "Thanks for being here for him."  
  
"Hey, no problem."  
  
"Well, I'm off to work," she looked outside; Ed was still asleep on the lounge. She turned and had a worried look on her face.  
  
Darien saw it and looked at his watch, "I'll wait until he wakes up to make sure he's okay and then I'll be in."  
  
Claire smiled, "Okay, I'll see you later."   
  
Darien nodded and watched Claire leave. He went back to reading the paper and saw the article on Senator Allen. He debated about reading it but it did concern him and he started to read it.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed woke about an hour later with a horrible taste in his mouth. "Oh man…" he covered his eyes with a hand and moaned, "Why'd you do this to yourself?" He slowly got up and walked inside the house.   
  
"Hmm, you're up at last," Darien remarked.  
  
Ed squinted as he walked, his hand shot out to touch the wall to support himself, "Whoa…too fast, must take baby steps."  
  
Darien smiled, "It's been awhile since you drank like that hasn't it?" Darien got up to help Ed. "Here just have a seat and I'll get you some water and some Tylenol, aspirins will kill your stomach," he helped Ed to the couch.   
  
"Thanks, so did you see Claire this morning?" Ed asked.  
  
"Yep, don't worry, she's not mad at you. But I wouldn't make a habit of it," Darien returned with a glass of water and some Tylenol.  
  
"I don't think that'll be a problem," Ed said as he downed the pills.  
  
"Hey, do you have any tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce?" Darien asked.  
  
Ed looked up at him disgusted, "God, Darien, did you have to mention that? And the answer is no. Why?"  
  
"Okay, then I'll be right back," Darien headed for the door. Ed looked over the couch, "You're not going to get that stuff are you?"  
  
"Hey, it's like the cure for hangovers, trust me on this." Darien was out the door.  
  
"He actually thinks I'm going to drink that?" Ed shook off the sick feeling in his stomach and slowly made his way to the kitchen to get some more water.  
  
Darien returned a short time later and had made sure that Ed drank every bit of the tomato juice before he left for work. Ed was surprised that it actually helped him feel better. Ed lay down on the couch and went to sleep for a couple of hours.  
  
~*~  
  
Darien sat with Hobbes, Tom and Sloan in the lab. They sat in quiet for a few moments thinking about yesterday's events.  
  
"Something isn't kosher about all this," Hobbes said breaking the silence.  
  
"Tell me about it. Arnaud can be complex in his ways but even for him, this was way too overboard for him." Darien stated.  
  
Tom and Sloan stared at each other and then back at Darien. "What do you mean?" Tom asked.  
  
"Well, Arnaud has a way of coming up with grand schemes to try and get a hold of the gland in my head. He pretended that my brother was still alive just to lure me to my uncle's cabin. Another time he made me sick just to get the gland but ended up making the gland sick also. He's not one to just come up from behind me and hit me over the head with a baseball bat. There's no style in that." Darien paused and then continued, "But this goes beyond him, I can't see how putting a gland in Ed could lead to something else he wants, unless he wants to control Ed, but then why give up the counteragent formula so easily?"  
  
"But why control Ed?" Sloan asked.  
  
"His background. That's why Copeland wanted Ed too." Tom added.   
  
"There's something that goes deeper than Arnaud at work here," Darien said.   
  
"Well, first let's look at Tate. What exactly is his background?" Hobbes asked.  
  
Darien looked over at Sloan. She thought for a moment, "Well, he's a bio-anthropologist with a background in genetics and immunology."  
  
"I thought you were the bio-anthropologist?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"We both are and so is Walter. The field is called Biological or Physical Anthropology, but it's easier just to say bio-anthropologist. We actually study neontology" Sloan said.  
  
"Neo, bio? I thought he said he was an immunologist?" Darien asked as he remembered the conversation that he and Ed had in his apartment. With everything that has gone on, it seems like ages ago.  
  
Sloan smiled, "Ed is modest, immunology is just a part of his doctorate. Ed doesn't like to give complete details because he's afraid he'll intimidate someone, he has always been like that. Bio-Anthropology is divided into two areas. Paleontology is the study of fossil evidence of primate evolution. Neontology is the relative biology study of living primates and humans. It's a diverse science of the human species and it includes past and modern populations. That's what we do; study both the past and present evolution of man."  
  
"After he told me about the classes he had to take just to go to med school, I was intimidated already," Darien said shaking his head.  
  
"He mainly researched the genetics aspect of bio-anthropology…uhmm…and the forensic science part of it. Ed usually was the one that performed autopsies." Sloan added.  
  
Hobbes' shoulders shuddered at the thought, "You mean like on mummies?"  
  
Sloan smiled, "Yeah, you might say that. Then he would study their DNA, immune system, organs, tissues, blood, things like that."  
  
"Bet he would love to get his hands on the Ice Mummy," Darien commented. Hobbes looked at him confused. "What you don't watch the Discovery Channel? Yeah, some German tourists found this 5,000 year old mummy in some snow covered mountain."  
  
"Exactly, that's right up Ed's alley. By the way, the mummy's name is Oetzi." Sloan said with a smile. "Ed would have loved to have been a part of that forensic team. In fact, I remember him frothing at the mouth when he read about it."  
  
"Who would benefit from Ed having a gland in his head?" Tom asked.  
  
"Not sure, but that's what I'm going to find out. Arnaud gave up the formula too easily. Not to mention he knew where Ed was going to be." Darien said.  
  
Hobbes thought for a moment and then he had the look like a light bulb went on inside his head, "Oh…hello…it was also the same time when we went on that wild goose chase, remember?"  
  
Tom looked at Sloan, "We were sent to Canada."  
  
"And Walter was sent to Hong Kong. We were all out of town when Arnaud took Ed." Sloan added.  
  
"A coincidence, even Darcy was sent out of town and Ray and Alex weren't around either." Darien hit the table, "Someone needed a geneticist…" Darien paused as he looked around, "…damn it, this was all a set up."  
  
"Arnaud?" Sloan asked.  
  
"No, even this was way too complicated for him to do on his own. Someone helped him who had connections and lots of 'em." Darien stated.  
  
"Walter?" Sloan asked.  
  
"No, this goes beyond what Walter and even the fat man can cook up. This is way up on the government's food chain of command here, my friends," Hobbes said.  
  
"Walter's boss." Tom was sure it had to be her.  
  
Sloan shook her head, "She did say at one time that we weren't doing enough to stop the dominant threat. That's when Ed came up with the idea for the gene therapy. But why would a gland be beneficial to her?"  
  
"Because while invisible I can spot a dominant," Darien said. All eyes turned to him as he continued, "Look, even with the dominant senses, Lewis or Lynch couldn't tell where I was, they knew I was around but that's all. Wouldn't that be one hell of a weapon?"  
  
"Yes, and with the sensory weapon they have, they could get close enough or spot dominants easily. The weapon has no effect on humans and while invisible, someone could render a dominant unconscious or even kill them without being seen." Tom said with concern in his voice.  
  
"Ed is the likely candidate because of his background and if he got close enough to the genetic design of the gland…" Sloan stopped.  
  
"That information could be used to make other glands," Hobbes added.  
  
Darien stood up, "Kevin designed the gland to stop terrorists, not to eliminate a species."  
  
"How do you know that's her plan?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"Because she doesn't believe that co-existence is possible between our two species. She will fight dominants in anyway she can." Tom added as he looked at Sloan. "To her, everyone is expendable, even Ed."  
  
"This is all just speculation, we have to find hard evidence," Sloan said.  
  
"We'll get it somehow, someway, we'll get it," Darien said.  
  
TBC… 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
Ed stood in the shower for a few minutes to let the water flow down his body. He slowly tilted his head to the right and then to the left, he heard the familiar sound of cracking, "Aahhh…yeeaaaahhhh." His neck was stiff from sleeping in the same position on the lounge and on the couch. He ran his hands over his face, "Tate you wimp, what are you doing to yourself?" he asked himself in the tranquility of the bathroom. "You can do this, don't let it get to you," he coached himself. He reached for the shampoo and poured a generous amount onto his hand and rubbed into a nice lather in his hair. He rinsed that off and reached for the soap, he thought about last night and his sudden dip in the ocean. He couldn't wash away the dream anymore than he could wash away what was happening to him now. "I can't let Arnaud ruin my life," he shook his head, "I can do this…give yourself more credit," he said to no one but himself.   
  
When he was done, he toweled off and got dressed. He went back downstairs with Pavlov following him where ever he went. He sat down at his laptop and turned it on. Ed picked up the little ball of fur and scratched him behind his ears while he waited for his laptop to boot up. When it was finished, he put Pavlov down, "Sorry, guy, but it's time for me to work." He was grateful that Darien and Hobbes had retrieved it from Arnaud and he started typing out everything he could remember. He also wanted to study the notes that Claire had given him dealing with Darien's gland. He wanted to compare what he knew about that gland to the one that's in his head now. They both worked pretty much the same. He hoped to find the answer using what he knew about both glands.  
  
"I'm glad to see you're up and around," Claire announced.   
  
He looked up and saw her standing in the doorway, he half smiled, "What are you doing home so early?"  
  
Claire walked over to him, "Ed, it's late, you've been asleep all afternoon. Darien and Hobbes were by earlier and saw you asleep on the couch. How are you feeling after your all nighter with Darien?"  
  
"A slight hangover, but I guess I deserve that. I thought for sure you would be mad at me. I'm sorry, Claire, really I am. I'm just trying to adjust to all this"  
  
Claire put her arms around him and kissed him softly on his lips, "I know you are. But I'm here too if you need to talk," she brushed the stray strand of hair from his face.  
  
He stood up and hugged her tight, "I know you are, and I won't shut you out. But you do understand that Darien is the only one who knows what I'm going through right now? Don't be upset if I tend to turn to him more."  
  
"I understand that, Ed. I love you and that will never change."  
  
Ed kissed the bruise on her cheek that he had given her when he slapped her in the Keep. He hadn't realized how hard he slapped her until it left a nice little bruise on her, "I'm sorry I did that."   
  
"Hey, not your fault, I've been through enough of these bouts with Darien to know that the real you would never hit me," she watched Ed sit back down. She sat down on his lap as her legs straddled his. "Now, what are working on?"  
  
Ed ran his hand up and down her sides gently, "Uhm…I'm trying to type out anything I can remember from my time with Arnaud. I'm hoping that I come up with something to help me find a cure."   
  
"You think you can?" Claire asked.  
  
"I really don't know, but it's worth a shot."  
  
"Do you want something to eat?" Claire asked.  
  
"I'm fine actually, I did manage to have some soup," Ed leaned forward and rested his head on her chest. "Plus, I really need to get all this information typed out before I go back to work tomorrow."  
  
Claire touched the back of his neck and found the scar. She started to massage it. Ed relaxed in her arms and purred. "I wasn't talking about food," Claire wiggled her hips.   
  
Ed let out a deep throated growl of arousal, "Woman, you're going to drive me insane…and I mean that literally."  
  
"Massaging the scar feels good to you too?" Claire continued to work her fingers around the scar.  
  
Ed sat upright and looked at Claire, "Wait, what do you mean to me too? Did you do this on Darien?" Ed asked accusingly.  
  
"No, Darcy told me about it."  
  
"Ah…okay, then. I thought maybe it was back when Darien had Kevin's mRNA or something."  
  
"No, I've only done this on you."  
  
Ed stood up with her in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the couch. He laid her down on her back and he rested on top of her. "You know, I need more than 15 minutes here," Ed said as he unbuttoned Claire's top.  
  
"I've got that covered. Eberts gave me the two vials of the counteragent without the Official knowing it. He thought that all we had was the syringe filled with counteragent that Hobbes gave you." Claire ran her fingers through Ed's hair.  
  
"I thought that I had a vial already?" Ed asked as he opened her shirt and ran his finger over the top of her lace bra.  
  
"You don't need the whole vial. You were given half of it."  
  
"Remind me to thank Eberts tomorrow," Ed pressed his lips against hers and they kissed passionately as the quicksilver flowed, covering them both.   
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Darien walked into Walter's office again. Walter looked up and leaned back in his chair, "This is becoming a habit with you."  
  
"Who else knew that Ed was accepted as the geneticist on the I-Man Project?"  
  
"I was the only who knew. I never sent in his recommendation. But there were other people on the board who knew that Ed was one of two left. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Because I think Ed was set up. There's no way that Arnaud could have pulled this off. We were all out of town or on missions when Ed was taken from the airport." Darien leaned on Walter's desk, "Who arranged Ed's travel plans?"  
  
"I did."  
  
Darien stared at him. "I didn't set Ed up and you know it," Walter said in a defensive tone.  
  
"I know you didn't." Darien stood to his full height. "But I'm going to find out who did." He turned and walked out.  
  
"I hope you do," Walter said out loud.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
The Lady walked around the room as she spoke, "Okay, so I wasn't suspecting Arnaud's double-cross and we don't know if he survived, but that doesn't change the plan. Dr. Tate is still of value to us and even more so now. In fact, Arnaud may have done us a favor."  
  
"How's that?" one of the men asked.  
  
The Lady stopped and leaned down on the desk, "Because now instead of having just a working knowledge of the gland, he has the real thing in his head." She gazed around the room, "Like I said before, this doesn't change our plan," she looked over at one of men dressed in a military uniform, "Major Marten, are your men ready?"  
  
"Yes, they're ready."  
  
"Good," she straightened up, "Phase two of Operation Gemini will go into effect immediately, just as we planned it. Now, you all know what you need to do?"  
  
There was a collective response of 'yes' around the room. Satisfied, the Lady picked up her notes, "Very well then, let's get moving and remember this meeting never happened."  
  
~*~  
  
Claire woke up, something wasn't right. She felt for the warm body that had been next to her earlier, "Ed?"   
  
All she felt was the cold sheets. The first thought that leaped in her mind was that something had happened, "Oh no." Claire hurried out of bed and grabbed for her robe. "Ed!" She called into the cool night air.  
  
"Out here," came the sorrowful reply.  
  
Claire could hear the pain in Ed's voice. 'Oh no, not again,' she thought to herself. She noticed that the French doors were opened slightly. Claire pushed the door opened and walked out onto the balcony. She noticed Ed sitting on a chaise lounge chair with a beer in hand. She let a sigh, "Ed, how long have you been sitting out here?"  
  
"I don't know, I don't go by universal time anymore," Ed said before taking a long gulp from the bottle in his hand.   
  
Claire's heart sank, "Ed," she took a step closer, "Did you have another dream?"  
  
Ed shook his head, "Yep," he stared off at the moonlit ocean. The waves that came in were the only sound they heard for a few moments. Claire sat down next to him and saw that he was on his third beer. 'Darien said this might happen again,' she thought to herself, 'Choose your words wisely, Claire, he doesn't need a lecture right now.'  
  
Claire reached out and put her hand on his thigh, "Sweetheart, anything you want to say, I'm here to listen."  
  
Ed looked at her, "I'm scared, Claire. I am so very scared." Ed's eyes welled up. "I…I don't know what to do…it scares me, you know, not being in control. This gland turns me into a monster. I feel like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."  
  
Claire remembered that Darien had said the same thing the other night. She looked out at the ocean. Ed was so much like the ocean now, deep under the surface was a darkness filled with danger and uncertainty. In Ed, that darkness could rise up and surface, releasing the demon from within.   
  
Ed continued, "Claire, I've been thinking, maybe it would be best if you didn't stay with me."  
  
His words shook Claire from her gaze at the ocean. She contemplated for a moment, and then took his hand into hers, "If you're concerned about quicksilver madness or your dreams, I'm not."  
  
"I am concerned. I love you too much, it would kill me if I hurt you in anyway," just the thought brought tears to Ed's eyes.  
  
Claire scooted closer, "I've handled Darien, and I can handle you. The Official has brought in a Keeper for you and I'm here. The chances of you going into madness and hurting someone are next to nil."  
  
"Can you promise that?" Ed looked at her.  
  
Claire stared into his eyes, her face changed appearance. As a doctor she knew not to make promises. Science can be filled with too many uncertainties. She knew that Darien would become immune to the counteragent, what she didn't know was when.   
  
Ed saw the doubt in her face, "I thought so. Darien made me that promise, but I'm not so sure it can be done." He turned and looked out at the ocean, "Claire, make me a promise. If you can't have counteragent by your side, that you will at least keep your gun handy and use it."  
  
"We'll figure out a way, Ed." Claire tried to sound optimistic.  
  
Ed smiled and reached out to touch Claire's face, "I love your optimism, promise me you'll protect yourself in anyway possible."  
  
"I will, I promise."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"I'm not leaving you, Dr. Tate and you can't throw me out. Darien and Darcy are living at my place." Claire got up and straddled Ed's lap. She took the bottle out of his hand and put it on the floor. She pulled off her robe and seductively looked at him, "What do you want to do now?"  
  
Ed looked at Claire; she was so beautiful in the moon light. Her eyes sparkled and certain parts of her anatomy were highlighted. His hands cupped her face, "I want to make love to you, but…"  
  
Claire put her finger on his lips to keep him quiet, "Shhh…no talk about QSM. I still have another vial of counteragent. I can set up a syringe and give you your shot afterwards, just like earlier." Her hand snaked between his boxers and his thigh.  
  
"Instead of smoking after sex I need a shaaaahhhh?'" Ed leaned his head back.  
  
"How does that feel?" Claire asked with a slight chuckle in her voice.  
  
"That…that feels…oh man," Ed felt the coldness trickle down his skin, "Oh man," Ed said as his arm disappeared and then part of his leg.  
  
Claire laughed, "Well, at least I'll know what state you're in."  
  
"This stinks."  
  
"Didn't you enjoy it earlier?" Claire leaned down and kissed Ed.   
  
Ed and Claire were suddenly looking at each other in a new spectrum. "I like blue," Claire said.  
  
"So do I," Ed said as he pulled her down for a passionate kiss.  
  
~*~  
  
The month that Ed had spent with Arnaud he had managed to at least keep up his offshore exercises, he needed…no…wanted to surf. He wasn't about to let the gland keep him from doing what he loved.  
  
Ed rose early the next morning. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he sifted through his drawer to find his surfing trunks. When he found them he put them on and quietly went down the stairs. He put his finger up to his mouth and motioned for Pavlov not to bark. He quietly left the house and started to jog along the shoreline. It was a boring part of his routine, but this morning it gave him a chance to clear his mind. He didn't know how long he ran up and down the beach, but when he checked his watch he had ran for nearly thirty minutes. During that time all he thought about was the gland, his experiments before and after the implantation. He kicked himself for not recognizing right away what Arnaud was up to. He went through the mental check of the moments leading up to Arnaud's betrayal. Ed just didn't see any signs of how his life was about to make a drastic turn.   
  
Ed ended up back at the house; he looked up towards the bedroom. He smiled as he pictured Claire still asleep in the bed; he checked his watch and knew that she would be waking up soon. He went to the small shed that housed his boards. Smiling like a child on Christmas morning, he picked up his favorite and laid it flat on the two sawhorses. He reached for the wax and started to work on the board. He hummed as he waxed the area of the board where his feet would be. When he was finished with the intimate ritual, he fastened the ankle strap to his leg, and then tucked the board under his arm. He walked out of the shed and stood between the house and the shoreline; with his eyes closed, he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He repeated this several times to relax. He opened his eyes to look at the ocean, "No fear," he said with determination in his voice and dashed out to the ocean.  
  
Claire woke up and saw that Ed was gone again. She hopped out of bed and called out to him, but he didn't answer. She heard Pavlov bark and rushed downstairs. The door was unlocked and she ran out onto the porch just in time to see Ed run out to the surf. She smiled when she saw him plant the board on the water and dove on top of it. A wave was coming in and Ed pushed the board down in the water so he could go under the wave. He reappeared a few seconds later and continued to paddle out.   
  
"He's surfing again, this is a good sign," Claire said to Pavlov as she held him. She went back inside and fixed a pot of coffee. Pavlov had scampered down the shoreline as if to keep an eye on him. While waiting for the coffee to finish, she sat down on the porch to watch Ed.  
  
He floated on the board as the waves went by. He didn't like to take them right away, he studied them, to see how the waves broke, study the wind and its direction. Satisfied that he could catch some waves and still be safe, he waited. He saw a good set coming in and he started to take off.  
  
Claire sat on the edge of her seat and started to cheer him on, "Go for it, hon, you can do it, you can beat it."  
  
Ed reached the perfect spot and stood on his feet. He flew over the water, his body moved and the board followed his commands. Claire clapped and screeched like a school girl. Ed did wipe out, but that didn't stop him. He got back on the board and paddled out again. He had surfed for a good 30 minutes and during his last ride he got close to shore. He was still on top of the wave, then with a flick of his hips and movement of his legs, the board turned around 180 degrees, he was backwards. He repeated the motions and he turned the board another 180 degrees, now he faced forward again. Ed repeated the trick one more time. It was as if he danced over the last part of the wave. He jumped off the board and picked it up before the fins got damaged. He ran up to the house and smiled, "Morning babe," Ed took a drink of water, "How'd you sleep?"  
  
"Not good, actually, I was worried about you," Claire said.  
  
Ed set his board up against the railing. He kissed Claire and then sat down on his weight bench, "I'm sorry if I gave you a rough night…again." Ed picked up a dumbbell.  
  
"Not your fault, you're going to have them and that's perfectly understandable. But I'm glad to see that you're going back to your routine," Claire said with a smile.  
  
"I'm not going to let it completely alter my lifestyle. I'm still Ed, a surfer, a scientist, a lover…" Ed said with a wink.  
  
"And a good one at one that."  
  
"Good? That's it…just good? Boy, you really know how to make a guy go limp," Ed said as he worked his other arm.  
  
"Hmm…I have the cure for that," Claire said smiling.  
  
"Yeah, I know you do," Ed said as he lay down on the bench. He picked up a light barbell and in a circular motion he moved the bar from above his chest to behind his head holding his arms parallel to the floor for a few seconds, and then brought it back up.   
  
Claire watched as Ed worked his triceps. When she first him, she didn't realize how many exercises he did just to surf. He did shoulder extensions, worked his abs, and finished with leg lunges using a barbell.   
  
"I have a few more exercises and then I'll be back up," he kissed her, rubbed his hand across her cheek while he said, "I'm fine. No fear, right?"  
  
Claire nodded, "Yeah…no fear."  
  
Ed kissed her gain and then he ran back down to the water. He dove in the water and started to swim out into the surf. She knew what he was going to do and she hated this part. Pavlov scampered down to the shoreline to watch and wait. The little dog seemed to know how long Ed could stay underwater. As Ed went under, Claire looked at her watch and timed how long he was underwater.  
  
Pavlov was like a nervous mother. At first he would sit calmly and then he would start to fidget a little and let out a bark. "Bloody hell, I wish he would do this out of the water," Claire watched as Ed's head came up from the water. He took another deep breath and went under again.  
  
The doctors in Mexico and Los Angeles credited his surfing fitness to saving his life after being shot. If Ed had not been in shape he probably would have died. Ed went through his routine three times a week since they moved to the beach house. At this point, she pictured Ed in her mind carrying a huge rock he had found underwater. He did this to help strengthen and increase his lung capacity. After another twenty minutes or so, Ed was headed back up to the house with Pavlov running along side him.   
  
After Ed was done, he went up stairs to shower and get ready for work. Claire snuck in the shower behind him and grabbed the soap. She reached around him and started to rub his chest.  
  
Ed moaned, "Hmm…feels good."  
  
"Now, what can I do to help that limp part of you?" Claire said seductively.  
  
Ed closed his eyes trying to concentrate on not quicksilvering, "I don't think that's a problem right now."  
  
Claire reached down, "Hmm…you're right, not an issue at the moment."  
  
"But my disappearing leg is," Ed tried to shake quicksilver off his leg, "Damn, why the appendages?" Ed's left arm joined his left leg.  
  
Claire took a step back, "Now this looks interesting. Actually, it looks strange."  
  
"Well, I guess showering together is out of the question, there's ice forming on me. I feel like the iceberg that sank the Titanic, if you get my drift," Ed said disappointed.  
  
Claire laughed, "I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about. Guess I'll have to just wash up quickly and wait for you on the bed."  
  
Ed growled deep in his throat, "This is really going to be frustrating."  
  
After washing up, Claire waited for Ed on the bed. She could hear him shaving, she smiled. That was usually the last thing he did. He stepped from the bathroom in a towel and walked over to the bed. He sat down, leaned back sideways and propped himself up on his elbow.   
  
Claire looked at him, "What you thinking about?"  
  
Ed let out a sigh, "The unknown I guess. My life seems to take these sudden turns lately. It's really annoying at times."  
  
Claire smiled, "That's what makes life exciting." She thought for a moment, "Do you regret, you know, being in San Diego that day when Arnaud mistook you for Darien. I mean, what if you waited a day later or earlier, you might not be going through all this."  
  
Ed looked at Claire and brushed the hair from her face, "Then I wouldn't have had the pleasure of you tugging on my boxers. First impressions tend to make a big difference in forging a relationship. At that point, I knew you were the right woman for me."  
  
Claire blushed and then hit Ed on the arm, "I'm being serious. Do you regret it with all that's happened to you?"  
  
"Look, if Arnaud had taken Darien instead of me, he might have extracted the gland and Darien would be dead. Lewis and Lynch would have taken Stark and God knows what would have happened then. Darcy would still be in Lewis' hands. Too many other things would have happened that could be worse."  
  
Claire sat up on the bed, "Ed, you almost died and now you have a gland in your head that I don't know how to remove. Can it get any worse?"  
  
"As far as the gland goes, that's a part of my life now and I have to deal with that one day at a time. Death is inevitable, one way or another it gets you." Ed took her hand in his, "It's all worth it cause you're in my life now."  
  
"Ed, you're really okay with this?" Claire couldn't believe the turn around from last night. Ed had gone through a roller coaster ride with his emotions during the past two days. First he sat on the beach with Darien and they both passed out on the porch. He spent the good part of the day passed out trying to get over a hangover and then typed everything out he could remember, determined to find the answer to quicksilver madness. Then last night, she woke again to find him drinking himself into a stupor on the balcony. Then in the morning, she found him surfing and then worked out. Now he sounded as if he's accepted it.  
  
"I know, not what you expected to hear. The workout I had this morning cleared my mind. There's nothing I can do about the gland being in my head now. It's a done deal. It's in there and maybe until I die." He paused and sat up on the bed to look her straight in the eyes, "Look, it's kind of like surfing. You can either sit on your board all day long or paddle out and take your chances on the waves. Sure, you don't know what kind of ride you're going to have, you may wipe out or you may rip. But the point is, if you sit on your board you'll never become one with the wave, you'll never risk wiping out and then getting back on that board to conquer the ocean. You'll only spend the rest of your life wondering what would have happened if you had just taken that wave. It's all about taking that leap of faith."   
  
Claire put her hand on Ed's cheek and smiled.  
  
Ed stated sternly, "With or without the help of my Keeper, I'm going to find the answer."  
  
Claire looked at him suspiciously, "Ed, you're planning something aren't you?"  
  
"You can't stop me, Claire. You can tell the Official if you want. But I'm not about to let some bureaucratic desk jockey keep me from finding the cure. I don't care if the gland stays in my head or not, but I will find a way to stop this madness that looms over my head or in my head." Ed looked at Claire, wondering if she would choose him over the agency.   
  
Claire looked down at the bed, "I'm not your Keeper and what you do concerning yours is none of my business." Claire leaned in closer to Ed and looked him in the eyes, "Just be careful."  
  
Ed smiled, "I will."  
  
Claire frowned. Ed saw it, "What?"  
  
"I would never have condoned anything like this with Darien," Claire stated.  
  
"But?" Ed asked.  
  
"But that was until the Official blackmailed me with Darien's life. If the Official finds out…"  
  
"I know," Ed thought for a moment, "I'll take full responsibility for my actions. But you know I just can't sit here and watch from the sidelines."  
  
"I know that's the scientist in you. I'll help out in anyway I can." Claire stated.  
  
"I can't let you do that and risk your job. I'll have to do this on my own," Ed said. "Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted by disappearing body parts?" Ed paused, "Ahh…maybe we shouldn't. I've had three shots of counteragent already in less than three days. I don't think it's a good idea."  
  
Claire frowned, "You're right, maybe we should continue this later."  
  
"Like after a week? Man, this is really going to be tough." Ed got up off the bed.  
  
Claire stood up, "I'm sorry, hon, but you know until we know more about the gland. I wouldn't want to risk you becoming immune or in need of more counteragent."  
  
Ed shook his head, "Yeah, I know. It's okay, I'll manage with cold showers."  
  
Claire hugged him, "This won't be easy on me either."  
  
They hugged each other tight. "We better get ready for work, and you get to meet your Keeper," Claire said as she smiled.  
  
Ed rolled his eyes, "Lucky me."  
  
~*~  
  
Claire walked into the Official's office first followed a few moments later by Ed. The Official glared at the pair, "I hope that this won't be a normal occurrence. I told you both from the beginning that I won't tolerate my agents coming in late. I can't keep you both apart after hours but I can when you're on Agency time."  
  
"Yes sir," Claire replied sheepishly.  
  
"Of course, it won't happen again," Ed replied. 'At least not this week,' Ed thought to himself.  
  
Walter walked in, "Ah, Ed, glad you could make it." He looked at the Official briefly and then turned his gaze towards Ed, "After you're through here, I want you to go home and rest. You've had a rough couple of weeks and I don't have to remind you of happened two days ago."  
  
Ed looked at the Official who didn't seem too pleased, "If it's okay, I would rather stay here and get some work done. I missed a lot of time and I have some things I need to catch up on. I promise, if I get too tired to work I'll go home."  
  
Walter glanced at Claire. She shook her head in agreement. He looked back at Ed and patted him on his shoulder, "Good to have you back, Ed. Now I have someone here for you to meet."  
  
Ed looked down at the floor, 'This is where the bomb drops.'  
  
"Ed, this is your Keeper," Walter said holding his hand out.  
  
Ed looked up and saw a black man walk in wearing a lab coat. He glanced quickly at Claire and then back at the man who stood nearly five inches shorter than him. Claire had to fight to stifle her laugh.  
  
  
  
Walter continued, "Due to the high level of secrecy, you will only know him as Keeper. This is for his safety and that of his family."  
  
Ed put his hand out, "Nice to meet you."  
  
"Likewise, Dr. Tate." The Keeper said shaking Ed's hand. "The first thing I would like to do is to run some tests and do a complete physical."  
  
Ed shook his head, "Ah no, no way, no physical."  
  
"Dr. Tate, it's procedure," The Official blurted out.  
  
"Dr. Tate, we're both professionals here. You know that in order for me to help I need to do a complete exam on you."  
  
Ed looked at Walter for help. "Sorry, Ed, but protocol is protocol," Walter said.  
  
Ed looked at Claire. She shrugged her shoulders, "I had to do the same with Darien, sorry hon."  
  
Ed sighed in defeat, "Let's get this over with." He reluctantly started to walk out the door when he stopped to look at Walter, "I just may take you up on that offer and go home after all."  
  
Ed and his Keeper left the office. Claire looked at Walter, "Doctors make the worst patients don't they?"  
  
Walter smiled, "Yes, we do, Dr. Keeply."  
  
Claire smiled, "If that's all, I have some work in the lab that needs my attention," Claire said as she chuckled softly. 'He looks like Taye Diggs,' she thought to herself.   
  
The Official nodded and Claire left the Office. Walter looked at him, "Ed doesn't go on any missions unless I agree. I need him here in the lab doing what he does best."  
  
"The gland in his head is fashioned after government property. Therefore, he is a receptacle for government property. If I need him for a mission, he will go on it." The Official stated.  
  
Eberts watched the two men go through a verbal exchange again. He figured that the last argument never ended and this was only a continuation of it. The Official looked at Eberts, "Eberts, go file or something."  
  
"Ah, yes sir," Eberts left the room.   
  
~*~  
  
After his grueling exam, Ed went to the Keep. He slid the card through and the door opened. He walked inside and Claire was quick to turn around, she smiled when she saw him, "So, how did it go?"  
  
"Not one of my favorite things to do."  
  
"Now you know how women feel going to the gynecologist," Claire wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
Ed looked off towards the ceiling and shook his head, "Yeah, I can see your point. I would rather have had you doing the testicular exam."  
  
Claire gave Ed an astonished laugh, "Is sex all you have on your mind?"  
  
"Well, considering that I was held captive by Arnaud for a month then my answer is yes. But that's not what I meant, all I could think about was you…"  
  
"Awww…"   
  
"…holding my…"  
  
Claire slapped Ed on his shoulder to interrupt him, "Ed Tate!"  
  
He smiled at her, "I'm kidding, seriously, I was thinking about where to take you out to dinner tonight."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, I've put you through hell these past two nights and you deserve it…we deserve it," Ed kissed her softly on the lips.  
  
"Mmmm…" Claire hummed during the kiss and then she broke it off, "So, where are we going?"  
  
"Well, I'm taking you to the Laurel Restaurant and Bar," Ed smiled.  
  
Claire stared at Ed stunned, "Are you sure?"  
  
"You want to go somewhere else?"  
  
"No, no…I would love to go there."  
  
"Good, we have dinner reservations at 7," Ed embraced her and kissed her, "This is your night."  
  
"I love you," Claire said.  
  
"I love you too." Ed turned around and left the Keep to go back up to his office.  
  
~*~  
  
Later on that afternoon, Claire walked into the big lab upstairs and saw Ed busy staring into a microscope. He was concentrating so hard he didn't hear her come in. She watched him as he slightly backed away from the microscope, stared off into space, mumbled something and went back to looking at the specimen. His lab coat was buttoned all the way up and he wore the standard protection in the lab, gloves and goggles. It was nice to see him at work again in familiar surroundings.   
  
Ed rolled over to the computer and started a program. He stared at the screen as the DNA Program started.  
  
Claire noticed that he quickly glanced at his tattoo and made a face. "Everything okay, hon?" She asked.  
  
Ed jumped with a holler and immediately disappeared.  
  
"Oh, Ed! I'm sorry," Claire came a little further into the room, "Where are you?" She said waving her hands in front of her like she was a blind person making sure she wasn't going to bump into anything.  
  
"I'm here," Ed said trying to catch his breath and calm his heart. "Just ahh…just give me a moment and I'll be back," Ed exhaled noisily.  
  
Claire snickered, "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
"No, it's alright. I was so wrapped up in what I was doing. How long were you standing there anyway?" Ed could feel himself calming down.  
  
"Just a couple of seconds," Claire watched as Ed reappeared in a burst of silver flakes. She smiled.  
  
Ed sat down, "Oh."  
  
Claire nodded and walked over to him. She bent down and kissed him lightly on the lips, "You're busy aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm running a DNA program on a new case Walter has me working on."  
  
"So, I take it then the SARS case is over?" Claire asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's nature. But now I'm working on a serial killer case. I have about twenty samples to go through." Ed pointed to the folder on the table.  
  
Claire glanced through it and shuddered at the pictures, "This is horrible, Ed. I didn't know you did this sort of thing."  
  
"Well, unfortunately forensic anthropology is par for the course. But usually I get older cases, much older. Walter sent this to me because it's the same M.O. that Lynch used. Sever the heads of the men and rape the women. I helped Sloan on that case for Ann Coulter," Ed said numbly as he went through the samples. "I have hair, tissue, blood and semen samples taken from the victims. I have to see if they all match up and see if the killer is a dominant or human."  
  
"Ed, that's sordid," Claire said as she sat down. "How many samples have you gone through?"  
  
"I've gone through five already," Ed paused, and looked at Claire with trepidation, "So far they come from the same person and he's a dominant."  
  
"Oh my God, what are you going to do?" Claire said as she picked up the file and started to go through it, "All these people."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but Claire, this is nothing from what I saw in the cave we rescued Kelly and Darcy from. There were piles of shoes, glasses, purses, wallets…I have no idea how many but each had a good size pile."  
  
"Did Lynch kill all those people?"  
  
"I don't know, but I doubt it. Now this isn't Lynch or a clone of him at least. The DNA is different, either this is a copycat or someone has decided to pick up where Lynch left off."  
  
There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Ed yelled out.  
  
Eberts poked his head in, "Ah, excuse me, Dr. Tate for intruding."  
  
"Nah, it's okay Eberts, what'd you need?" Ed asked as he stood up and approached Eberts.  
  
"I just need for you to fill out these forms for the Official," Eberts handed Ed a rather thick envelope.  
  
Ed removed his gloves and took the file in his hand. "You've got to be kidding me, this is thicker than my post graduate application," Ed looked inside and did a double take. He took his goggles off and put them on the table to get a better look at the contents of the envelope.  
  
"The Official expects this on his desk as soon as possible. I'm sure you'll find it easy to review," Eberts stood there with his arms behind his back. "If you have any questions, Dr. Tate, you know where to find me."  
  
Ed looked at Eberts happy, but confused, "I will, Eberts, thank you." Ed watched as Eberts left the lab. He went back to going over the paper work. He looked at Claire for a moment, "You hungry?" Ed motioned for Claire to say 'yes'.  
  
"Uhmm…yeah, I am actually."  
  
Ed smiled at her gleefully, "Good, let's go down to the coffee shop and get us a snack." He grabbed her arm and led her out of the lab.  
  
"Ed, what's…"  
  
"Shh…the walls have ears." They walked down the stairs and went out the front door.  
  
"Okay, now will you tell me what that was all about," Claire said as they walked across the street.  
  
"I'm sorry about that, but Eberts left a note saying the lab might be bugged," Ed said as they walked down the sidewalk.  
  
"Eberts? What are you talking about?" Claire said.  
  
"Take a look at this," Ed stopped and handed her the envelope.  
  
Claire looked through it, suddenly a look of both surprise and shock spread across her features, "My research? But how?" Claire started to walk towards the coffee shop.  
  
"I don't know, but looks like I owe him another big thank you. It looks like copies of the originals but I can work with that," Ed said as they walked.  
  
"Ed, this is fantastic," Claire said as she brushed the hair from her face. She handed it back to Ed and he pulled out a print out on some test results. He stopped suddenly. Claire watched him, "What is it?"  
  
"There's an increase in the dopamine levels. The toxin must have affected the Limbic System in some way." Ed looked at Claire.  
  
Claire thought for a moment and then continued, "That's interesting, now what are you thinking?"  
  
Ed held the door opened for her and they walked inside, "We'll talk more in just a moment." They ordered and when they got their coffee, they sat down at a table and talked. Ed folded his hands around the coffee cup as he continued, "The amygdala plays an important role on the mediation and control of major emotional behaviors like friendship, love and affection, on the expression of mood and, mainly, on fear, rage and aggression. The amygdala, being the center for identification of danger, is fundamental for self preservation. When triggered, it gives rise to fear and anxiety which leads to a stage of alertness, getting ready to flight or fight. Now, we know that there are two, one for each hemisphere, when both of them receive electrical stimulus it elicits catastrophic acts of violent aggressive behavior."  
  
Claire looked at him, "Ed, I think you got something there. The toxin would have to affect the entire Limbic System."  
  
"Exactly, the Limbic System is connected to the central nervous system, brainstem and the gland is connected to the…"  
  
"Central nervous system and brainstem…yes, of course."  
  
"Okay, now check this out, the ventral tegmental area, located in the mesencephalic part of the brainstem, there is a compact group of dopamine-secreting neurons whose axons end in the nucleus accumbens. The spontaneous firing or the electrical stimulation of neurons belonging to that region produces pleasurable sensations, some of them similar to uhmm…well, orgasm. Many people, who for a genetic error have a reduction of D2 receptors in the accumbens nucleus, become sooner or later incapable to obtain satisfaction from the common pleasures of life. This is when they seek atypical and noxious 'pleasurable' alternatives, like alcoholism, cocaine addiction, impulsive gambling and other compulsive behaviors. Certain brainstem structures, like the nuclei of the cranial nerves, are stimulated by impulses coming from the cortex and the striatum; they're responsible for the physiognomic expressions of anger, joy, sadness, tenderness, those kinds of emotions. Now, I'm thinking that the toxin is affecting most of the frontal lobe area and the brainstem."  
  
"Ed, that all makes sense with how this mutation works. This wasn't Darien's case at all. Arnaud really did some research this time around." Claire took a sip from her coffee.  
  
"Well, it's only a theory, but it's a good place to start. Arnaud ended up leaving me a clue to the riddle, but not the complete answer. The dopamine levels rise and this creates the 'reward' experience. In the case of quicksilver madness, it's an unnatural reward experience. Another words the euphoria doesn't come from food, sex, water, etc…but from the toxin. It must have the same kind of effect of cocaine or an amphetamine has on the dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, but without the side effects of those narcotics."  
  
"So, what do we do now?" Claire asked.  
  
"Well, we know that the primary macrogangelia is grafted to the brainstem…"Ed looked at Claire for any hint of realization.  
  
"Whoa…wait, then that means that the toxin must be coming from the primary macrogangelia?" Claire paused, "But the toxin is also in your blood stream."  
  
"True, but what if Arnaud designed it that way to throw us off. What if the toxin in my blood is not what's causing quicksilver madness but the toxin released into the Limbic System? It would still be the same amount of toxin from both the primary and secondary macroganglia and that's why the monitor picks it up in my blood."  
  
Claire smiled, "Oh Ed, I think you're on to something. The toxin would travel to the ventral tegmental area and then go to the Limbic System," Claire stated.  
  
"Now you're speaking my language," Ed said as he took a sip of his coffee. "But again, only a theory, there's only one way to find out for sure," Ed stared at Claire with seriousness on his face.  
  
"Ed…no…I won't put you through that," Claire said adamantly.   
  
"Do you think I want to? I don't. But it might be the only way to know for sure. I only need to go as far as stage three, maybe even stage two. You can study the Limbic System…" Ed stopped as he watched Claire vehemently shook her head in disagreement. Ed leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh. He ran his finger across his bottom lip as he stared off at the floor. "Okay, I'll just have to use whatever I can get my hands on," Ed finally said.  
  
"Don't be mad, I'm sorry, I just…I just don't want to see you go through all that again," Claire said sympathetically.  
  
Ed smiled at her, "I know, believe me I love it that you care about me. I'm just glad you talked me out of it." Ed looked at his watch, "We better get back or they'll become suspicious."  
  
"Speaking of suspicious, did your Keeper ask about the vials of counteragent?" Claire asked.  
  
"Actually, he was more curious about all needle marks on my arms."  
  
"Bloody hell, I forgot all about that, what did you tell him?" Claire asked in a fretful tone.  
  
"I told him that you and Arnaud used me as a pin cushion. He believed it. As far as the counteragent, he doesn't know about the extra vials. Apparently Eberts must have told Hobbes and Darien that he gave them to you and neither one included that bit of information in their reports. As far as the Official and my Keeper knows, the syringe with the counteragent was it."  
  
Claire let out a long sigh of relief, "I saw my life flash before my eyes."  
  
Ed chuckled, "Relax, Claire, it's all covered."  
  
TBC… 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
  
"My name is Edward Tate   
They call me Double D  
I'm the coolest scientist   
That you never did see  
  
The man made me invisible  
Now I be mis'rable   
You mess with my board  
and I'm bound to get physical  
  
Now I worked in a lab   
Surfed the ocean waves   
didn't have a girlfriend  
and led a lonely life  
  
Then the Swiss Miss Mutha   
Said that we could help each other   
But he tricked the geek surfer   
and put him under the knife  
  
A hole in my head   
A gland in my brain   
A needle in my vein   
Or I go insane  
  
That's the curse of quicksilva   
The stuff that bends light   
I get closer to madness   
The more I step outta sight"  
  
"Sweetheart, what are you doing?"  
  
Ed turned around quickly and saw Claire, red immediately changed the color of his complexion, "Oh, I uhmm…" he put his hand on top of his head and the other on his towel clad hip, he looked around as he quickly tried to come up with an excuse, "I uhhmm…" he looked at Claire defeated, "you saw that didn't you?"  
  
"I heard it too," she smiled as she approached him, "Did you make that up yourself?"  
  
Ed was still blushing, "No, actually Darien did. It's from an old rap he made up about himself. The night he was here he changed some of the words around to fit yours truly."  
  
Claire laughed, "So that's what you guys did on the porch besides drink. And did Darien say that he danced around in a towel while singing?"  
  
"That I don't know," he took Claire into his arms, "It was a spur of the moment thing."  
  
"Well, it was quite funny," she kissed him, "I'm going to go wash up and get ready and I don't think what you're wearing is acceptable in a restaurant."   
  
Ed smiled and watched Claire go into the bathroom. He walked over to the closet and pulled out his suit. This was a special night and it required for him to look his best.  
  
Claire came down the stairs and found Ed over by the CD player, "Okay, hon, I'm ready."  
  
Ed turned around and nearly jumped out of his pants, "Whoa! You look great!"  
  
Claire blushed and ran her hand over her black dress, "You like it?"  
  
"Like it?" He walked over to her, "Claire, you look absolutely stunning."  
  
"Thank you, I've only worn this dress once and it was to a casino…long story." She pushed herself away from Ed to be arms length so she can get a good look at him. She smiled, "Still need help with the tie don't you?"  
  
Ed rolled his eyes, "What can I say."  
  
Claire helped him the tie and fixed his coat, "I think we're ready."  
  
"Mmmm…not yet, we still have time." He put his hand out, "May I have this dance." He pushed the button and Frank Sinatra's 'Fly Me to the Moon' started to play. Claire smiled, "Of course, a lady would be foolish to turn down a dance with a handsome gentleman." They danced around the room, twirling, holding each other tight, kissing and at the end of the song, Ed dipped her and kissed her again softly on her lips.   
  
He lifted her up and she ran her hand across her forehead, "Phew…you didn't tell me you could dance."  
  
"My mom taught me," he paused, "Guess I was the only man in the house that she wanted to dance with. She once told me that dad wasn't much of a dancer so she wanted to make sure I knew how. It came in handy after all." Ed picked up her coat and put it on her, and then he held his arm out for her to take it, "Ready?"  
  
She took hold of his arm, "Yes." They kissed again and headed out the door.  
  
As they walked to Claire's SUV, they didn't notice the black van parked across the street. Ed opened the door for Claire and then he got in the driver's side. The SUV pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street. One of the men inside the van talked on the phone, "No, she was with him…okay." He hung up and looked at the other men with him, "We wait until morning."  
  
Claire gazed around the restaurant, "What are you going to do now?"  
  
"Well, Sloan was finishing up on the samples, but so far they all match. It goes to Tom and Ray next once Walter decides what to do. I'm sure he'll ask the Official for assistance," Ed said as he took a sip of his wine.  
  
"Does it scare you?" Claire asked.  
  
"To know that a Lynch wanna-be is out there, yeah it's scary as hell."  
  
Claire sighed; she looked at Ed and smiled, "Did you ever think your life would take such a drastic turn?"  
  
Ed chuckled, "No, I didn't. I mean, we did this sort of thing before for the L.A.P.D. and even worked on some FBI cases, but like I said earlier, they were old cases. Like someone that's been missing for years and someone finds their remains, and that's when we're usually called in. Well, they call me since I did most of the forensic end of anthropology. Sloan is more like the behavioral or social anthropologist, so she's like the equivalent of an FBI profiler."  
  
"What did Walter do?"  
  
"You know, I'm not sure, I never really saw him do one specific job in the lab before Ann was killed. He did a lot of paper work though. I think back on that now and I'm not sure why he was there," Ed shrugged his shoulders and their dinner was brought to them. They changed topics while they ate and after they had dessert, they went for a walk in nearby Balboa Park. While there a little girl kept staring at Ed. It had started to make him feel uncomfortable but finally she came up to him.   
  
"Ralph? You look different tonight."  
  
Claire covered her mouth, "Oh no," then she started to giggle.  
  
Ed looked at the little girl oddly, "I'm sorry, but that's not my name, are you looking for someone?"  
  
Jessica Semplar thought for sure she was looking at Ralph, her one time invisible friend, "Oh, it's just that you remind me of someone I knew. His hair was different though, stuck straight up. I'm sorry."  
  
Ed watched the little girl run off to go back to her mom. He turned his confused gaze to Claire who was laughing at this point. "Mind telling me what all that was about?"  
  
"Sorry, hon, but looks like an old case of Darien's mistook you for an invisible friend," Claire took his arm and started to explain the case to Ed.  
  
After listening, Ed smiled, "That's an interesting case, glad she's okay." They walked around some more.  
  
Once home, Ed picked Claire up and carried her upstairs. "I thought that we were going to wait because of the counteragent," Claire said as she ran her hand through his hair.  
  
"I can't, babe, you look so beautiful tonight," Ed said as he put her down. He pulled her in close and turned her around. He unzipped her dress and pushed the straps off her shoulders. He kissed her neck then moved down to her shoulders as he pushed the dress to the floor. Claire let out a moan of pleasure before they were covered in the silvery liquid.   
  
~*~  
  
The following morning, Ed sat down at the breakfast table and picked up his "Nature" magazine that he had received in the mail the day before. He had worked a long day yesterday and he was just too tired to go through his mail.   
  
Claire had left early and she left the magazine for him on the table knowing that he would rather read that than the morning paper. The cover of the magazine caught his eye.   
  
'African Origins: Ethiopian fossils are the earliest Homo Sapiens'  
  
Ed's eyes lit up and he quickly turned the pages. What he read would change his life…again. He slowly put his cup down and thought for a moment out loud.  
  
"Neanderthals and Homo sapiens were two different species, we didn't evolve from Neanderthals after all, but our origins are in Africa. These early homo sapiens left Africa and traveled to Europe and Asia. It would have taken thousands of years for skin pigmentation, eye and hair color to change after they adapted to the new climates..."  
  
Ed froze.  
  
"My God…dominants didn't evolve…they were…created?"  
  
In a house across the street, someone picked up the phone and dialed quickly, "He's alone…okay…we're on it."  
  
Ed quickly put the magazine in his briefcase, grabbed his keys and bolted for the door. His heart was racing and he fumbled his keys as he tried to lock the front door, "Damn!" he bent down and picked up his keys with a shaky hand. He mumbled to himself, "It's a cover-up the whole damn thing is a cover-up and we were used to tell a lie."   
  
Ed finally got his fingers to work and he locked his door. He ran as fast as he could to his van. He tried desperately to find the right key. He paused and closed his eyes; he could feel a trickle of quicksilver running down his cheeks, "Okay, calm down…that's it…focus…do not go invisible, it would not look cool driving down the street."   
  
Ed felt his heart slowing down and he reopened his eyes. His head did a double take as he saw a black van with dark windows pull up and three men jump out dressed like commandos.   
  
"Oh crap, maybe it is a good time to go invisible," Ed said as he ran to the front of his van and towards his house. The quicksilver started to flow and cover him in a silvery blanket. He started to run towards the street in the opposite direction of the three men.  
  
"Put on thermals!" One of the men shouted.  
  
"Damn!" Ed exclaimed to himself as he tried to run faster. He could hear their footfalls just behind him and that's when he heard the all too familiar popping sound of a dart gun. The sting in his left leg made him fall to the ground. The dart had impacted on the back of his thigh. Ed gripped his leg and tried to stand up, but his leg went numb and he stumbled to the ground again. The quicksilver flaked off and he saw the three men hovering over him with guns drawn. "I give up," Ed said just before darkness over took him.  
  
~*~  
  
Darien and Hobbes walked into their office after the morning briefing, Darien tossed the folder onto his desk and put his feet up on the edge. Hobbes glared at his partner's feet and then at him. Darien shook his legs like he was nervous about something.  
  
"What'd you thinkin' about?"  
  
"This case, I mean, why can't the FBI handle it?" Darien asked.  
  
"Cause you, my friend, are one of them and they figure you have a better chance of catching this guy," Hobbes said as he sat down.  
  
"All this is doing is adding fuel to Senator Allen's bill," Darien looked at Hobbes with a hint of uncertainty creased across his brow.  
  
"Just a bunch of hot air, Fawkes, don't let it worry ya," Hobbes said.  
  
Darien sat up straight in his chair, "Hobbes, it does worry me, not just for me, Darcy and the baby, but this whole world. We both know that dominants are not going to sit by and let this happen. This will start a war that no one will win." Darien was about to continue when his phone rang.  
  
"Saved by the bell," Hobbes retorted.  
  
"Fawkes here…oh hey, Ray, what up man?" Darien listened intently and then his expression turned to shock.  
  
Hobbes sat up, "Whoa, Fawkes, what's wrong?"  
  
Darien stared at Hobbes, "Yeah, we'll be there, thanks." Darien still staring, hung up the phone.  
  
"Fawkes, what's wrong? This guy struck again?"  
  
"No…it's Ed…he's dead." Darien just blurted it out, no emotion behind it, he just sat there staring off at nothing in particular.  
  
Hobbes sat silent for a few moments that formed like a thick blanket in the room and then he spoke, "What happened?"  
  
Darien looked Hobbes like his whole world had crumbled down around him, "Ray is at the scene now and he wants us to come by. His uhmm…his uhmm…van…uhmm…went off a cliff."  
  
Hobbes closed his eyes and ran his hands over his face, "Oh God," he paused for a moment, "I'm sorry, Fawkes. Do you want me to tell Claire?"  
  
Darien stood up, "No, I'll…I'll tell her." Darien slowly got up and left.  
  
Claire paced around the Keep with her cell phone in her hand, she hit the redial and nothing. She looked at her watch again and called home, still nothing. Claire was worried now, Ed was late, very late and he wasn't answering his cell phone. She decided to see if Darien was still around to ask him to go looking for Ed when the door to the Keep slid open. Darien slowly walked in. Claire took in his expression and immediately knew, "No, not Ed…please tell me he's okay."  
  
Darien looked at her and took a hard swallow, "You better sit down."  
  
"He's fine right?" Claire asked concerned as she slowly sat down, her stomach already in knots, "Please, tell me."  
  
"There was an accident…" Darien said.  
  
"No…no…please, God, no!" Claire said as she shook her head.  
  
"I'm sorry, Claire", Darien moved closer to her and embraced her. He felt her start to shake. "I'm so sorry."  
  
"No, it can't be…I just saw him…this morning…no…no…I won't…" Claire started to sob.  
  
"Claire, they found his van…" Darien paused, not wanting to continue, he could feel Claire's emotion and it added to his own grief, "Claire, they found his van at the bottom of a cliff."  
  
"Oh my God!" Claire exclaimed in a sorrowful howl.   
  
Darien held her tight. The door swung open and Hobbes walked in. He knew immediately that Darien had told her. Claire looked up to see him standing there. She stood up, "I bet you're happy about this!" Claire said and she stormed from the Keep. She didn't know where she was going, but she needed to get away, away from the Agency and everyone associated with it.  
  
Hobbes started to go after here, "Claire!" He felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked at Darien. "I'm not what she said, happy. I may not have liked it, but I did accept it and I would never have wished anything like this to happen."  
  
"I know, give her time, she'll come around. I'll have Sloan find her."  
  
"How are you holding up?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"I don't know, Hobbes, I guess I'm in shock," Darien said as he walked out of the Keep.  
  
"You think it was an accident?"   
  
"I'm not sure, but I'm going to the scene," Darien said.  
  
"Dominants?"  
  
"Yeah, that's my first guess," Darien paused and leaned up against the wall, "It's not fair!!! It's just not fair!!! I'm supposed to protect him!!"  
  
Hobbes put his hand on his shoulder, "That's it partner, just let it out."  
  
"Damn them! I'll get them for this!!!" Darien buried his head in his hands. He looked at Hobbes again, but with determination, "I'm gonna find out, Hobbes, I swear if it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna find out who killed Ed."  
  
"Come on, we won't find out by standing here. You sure you want to go to the scene of the accident?"  
  
Darien shook his head, "Yeah, I'm sure." Anger had replaced mourning. Hobbes heard it in his voice. Hobbes stared at Darien for a moment; he had seen that look before. Darien was near that fine line of losing control. Hobbes had hoped that he wouldn't end up on the receiving end of the anger that was welling up inside of Darien. He suddenly felt pity for the one who committed the crime. He watched as Darien squared his shoulders and walked down the hall like a man on mission.  
  
~*~  
  
The sun rose high over the desert heating the ground to the point that you could fry eggs on the rocks. Even the desert dwellers stayed out the heat. Through the heat mirage stood a government facility. A high electrified fence surrounded the desert camouflaged buildings. Soldiers in military dress kept watch and some had specially trained guard dogs walking the perimeter with their handlers.  
  
From the air it would have seemed to be nothing more than another military base in the desert used for special training. But appearances can be deceiving.   
  
One of the buildings housed an underground entrance. If someone was to just casually walk in it would be unnoticed. This building was used as a garage for the larger desert trucks and other vehicles. This day it was empty as a large military truck drove to the huge doors. They opened and the driver waited. Then as if he said the magic words, the floor opened up to reveal a ramp descending deep below the desert. The truck slowly made its way down the ramp and the floor closed up again. Soldiers moved various trucks and equipment to cover the area.   
  
There was a group of people waiting at the bottom. Some were dressed in lab coats, others were in military uniforms and the rest were in civilians clothes. One of the soldiers got out of the truck and went up the Lady.  
  
She smiled, "I hear things went well?"  
  
"Yes, the operation was a success. They won't suspect a thing, ma'am."  
  
"Good and the flight, any complications?" The Lady walked with the group and the soldier to the back of the truck.  
  
"None, ma'am, he slept the whole time. He'll have no idea where he is," the soldier said as he opened the door. The Lady peered inside the truck and saw the sleeping form on a stretcher. She looked at one of the soldier sitting, "Put him in the O.R.," she said and motioned the group to follow her.  
  
"Will we have the information soon?" one of the doctors asked.  
  
"Yes, my inside man should be sending them to us, encrypted of course. He should be joining us tomorrow; after all, he's not needed anymore. In the mean time, I think you're going to be impressed with Dr. Tate and his ability."  
  
"Will he cooperate once he wakes up?"  
  
"We don't need him to be awake. There are ways to get the gland working. We'll ask him some questions and then run tests immediately. I want him to go into quicksilver madness so we can run some tests and see for ourselves what the effects are. After that, we'll put him in his new room as our permanent guest."  
  
"You intend on keeping him alive?"  
  
"Yes, for now. I just may have to thank Arnaud for this little mutation. Dr. Tate won't want to go through the pain too often. He'll do anything to prevent that."  
  
"You're going to force him to work for us?"  
  
"Yes, that is my intention."  
  
~*~  
  
Sloan cried and Tom held her. This was different than with his brother. He didn't even know he had brothers until the Lynch clone had killed one, he didn't grieve then, but now he did. He knew Ed and they had become friends after a long bumpy road. Ed was like a big brother to Sloan even though he knew Ed wanted more than that. That morning when Ed had come to Sloan's apartment, he read it in Ed's face, the look of surprise and then the protective glare that a big brother would have over his little sister.  
  
Tom knew at that point that Ed was a good friend and maybe more. Tom thought back to that day in the warehouse when he and Ed were alone having dinner. It was their first real discussion about Sloan.   
  
Tom watched Ed eat and he needed to clear the air with him if they were ever going to work together as a team. The distrust will only get in their way. They were alone, so Tom took advantage and started the conversation on what he knew they should talk about. "I never intended to come between you and Sloan," Tom said staring at Ed.  
  
Ed looked up and gazed at Tom, "What are your intentions?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"With Sloan. I mean, you know, it's not that uh, she and I are an item. We're....not. But you know, I can definitely see there's something happening between you two. And, she's the best friend I have," Ed said looking at Tom sternly. Ed was letting Tom know that he better not hurt her in anyway.  
  
"She's lucky to have a friend like you," Tom nodded.  
  
"Yeah, uh, but is she lucky to have a friend like you?" Ed glared at Tom.  
  
It was Tom's turn to return the glare, "I would never hurt Sloan."  
  
Ed partly smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I guess you proved that."  
  
Tom nodded and said, "So have you." Tom watched Ed eat with a smile on his face. Maybe someday, Ed would become his friend as well.  
  
Tom kissed the top of Sloan's head, "Ed really cared about you."  
  
Sloan looked up at Tom with teary eyes, "I know."  
  
Tom shook his head, "I think more than you know or even realized. He was very protective of you."  
  
Sloan smiled and could only nod in agreement. In the early days of her discovery, she had mistreated Ed by lying to him about Tom and then in Mexico when she brushed him off. But that hadn't stopped him from remaining friends with her.  
  
They had been through so much together and now Tom understood what it meant to mourn. He had lost a friend and he felt the emptiness inside, for the first time in his life, he understood what it was like to lose someone he cared about.  
  
Darien came into the lab with Hobbes trailing behind him. "Guess you heard?" Darien said sadly.  
  
"Yes, Ray had called Walter and he told us. Walter is with the Official now," Sloan said as she got up and hugged Darien, then Hobbes. "Are you okay…" Sloan paused, "Stupid question, this is never okay."  
  
Darien shook his head, "Not a stupid question, it's just in a time like this we don't know what to say. But I need a favor from you, Sloan."  
  
"What is it?" Sloan asked and Tom stood up.  
  
"Claire took off and I think she may have gone home, Hobbes and I are going to the scene of the…" Darien paused, "I was wondering if you could keep Claire company?"  
  
Sloan looked back at Tom, "Sure, Darien, I'll do that. I'll have Tom drive me over."  
  
"Okay, and Tom, after you do that can you join us?" Darien asked.  
  
"Yes," Tom answered as he stood to his feet. As they walked out, Tom took a quick glance at the empty office. He remembered when his brother had been killed; he felt nothing because there was no connection. But with Ed's death, he did feel something. Sadness.  
  
~*~  
  
Bright. Too bright. Ed squeezed his eyes closed as he tried to block out the painful glare of the bright light. It was a quick flash in one eye and then the other. He moaned and flayed his hands in a desperate attempt to push the evil invading light beast away.   
  
"Well, you're awake, good. How are you feeling now?"  
  
Ed let out a groan, "Like I got hit by a truck. What…where am I?" Ed felt his head with his hand, he had a horrible headache. His eyes grew big, "My God!" He checked his tattoo, three segments were red. He sighed in relief.   
  
Tara smiled, "No, Dr. Tate, you're not close to quicksilver madness."  
  
Ed looked at the person talking to him. On first glance she was pretty, light brown hair that was tied up in a stylish bun and blue eyes. She wore a lab coat and stuffed the light pen in her pocket. "Who are you and what…how? Ah man, I feel like crap."  
  
"I'll give you something for the headache. That's from the sedative that was given to you." She folded her arms, "I also did minor surgery on you."  
  
"What? What did you do?"  
  
"I just had a look at the gland and took a tissue sample. You're fine and the gland is fine."  
  
"You drilled a hole in my head?" Ed asked in an angry tone.  
  
"Don't worry, it's very small. I just inserted a small tube with a camera attached to it. I had a good look at the gland, very impressive work. I then took a small tissue sample and here you are." Tara took notes.  
  
"And where exactly is here and who are you people?" Ed said as he was given water from a nurse.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. But I can tell you my name is Dr. Tara Marsh. The tissue sample I took was very small, barely noticeable. There was no hemorrhage or leakage of quicksilver. We're still monitoring you even right now." Tara signaled to the nurse that she wanted to be alone with Ed. The nurse smiled and walked away.  
  
Ed watched with uncertainty. "Okay, so who are you? I mean, are you some kind of scientist?"  
  
"Yes, I am. That's all I'm permitted to tell you."  
  
"Whoever has me is going to harvest the gland aren't they?" Ed asked fearfully.  
  
Tara paused, "I can't answer that."  
  
Ed looked away, "Then I guess we have nothing else to discuss, leave me alone now, please."  
  
Tara looked at him helplessly, she was about to say something and thought it best just to do what he asked. She got up and went to the door and turned to look at him, she sensed the emotions coming from him, fear and sorrow…deep sorrow. She frowned and left the room.   
  
As she walked down the hall to give her report she started to feel something inside. She stopped and realized what she was feeling, 'Pity?' she thought to herself, 'This can't be happening to me, I must not pity this human, especially this one.'   
  
Ed started to feel groggy. 'Oh no,' he looked at the cup of water, 'I've been drugged,' he tried to get up but ended up slipping off the bed and onto the floor. He tried to push himself back up, but the drug overpowered him and he slipped into darkness…again.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed woke up some time later and looked around through blurred vision. He could make out that he was in some sort of exam room. He also couldn't move and noticed that he was cold. He looked at himself as his vision cleared slowly. He was strapped down to a metal table that resembled what he would use for an autopsy, 'Oh this can't be good,' he thought to himself as he tested the straps. They were tight. He wanted to see what would happen if he tried to quicksilver them, but there were too many people around and he noticed a camera aimed straight at him. 'At least they put scrub pants on me or else they would have some view,' he smirked to himself.  
  
He sighed and studied his surroundings some more. There were monitors hooked up to him and this gave him a very uneasy feeling. People in lab coats were busy at various medical equipment and looking at print outs, some lab techs were even in a small group discussion over some interesting imaging on the monitor.  
  
"Hey, uh…where am I?" Ed asked as he saw someone walk by.  
  
No answer.  
  
Ed let out a sigh, "Terrific, Tate, always managing to get your self in some sort of trouble."  
  
The door opened and a group of people walked in. One of them spoke up, "Hello, Dr. Tate." The lady said.  
  
Ed recognized the voice and hate welled up inside of him, "You! What the hell is this about?"  
  
The Lady stood next to Ed, "You're going to be our guest for a very long time."  
  
Ed paused, the words sank in. "They'll look for me."  
  
"Not for a dead man they won't."  
  
"What?" Ed said shocked. He understood completely what Walter's superior was capable of. She had the means to pull anything off, including faking his death. "You wouldn't."  
  
"Already done, I'm sorry, Dr. Tate, but to them, you're dead."  
  
Ed's heart sank.   
  
TBC… 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15  
  
Claire sat on the porch watching the waves roll in. Pavlov sat next to her, looking at her sadly. She looked down at him and studied his eyes, "You know something's wrong don't you?"  
  
Pavlov sat up and lifted a paw in the air. Claire picked him up and held him like she was holding a child. Tears welled up in her eyes, "He's not coming home." She rocked back and forth.  
  
After a few moments she walked down to the shoreline and stood there. How quickly things change. She thought back to yesterday when Ed was in that ocean, surfing and trying to work out his new role life and now…it was nothing more than a memory. She shook her head, "I can't…" she turned around and headed for the house when she noticed the shed, she stared at it for a few moments and ran back inside the house. Claire grabbed her keys and went to the shed.  
  
Claire stood there, not sure if she should open it or not, but decided to do it anyway. She opened the door and walked in. It was like time froze for her. Ed had been so happy that now he actually had a place to store his boards and work on them. Some days he would spend hours in there, taking off the old wax, and putting on new wax. Claire walked towards the boards leaning up against the wall. She touched the one he had used yesterday and her other hand shot immediately to her mouth. The sadness rushing up like an exploding volcano, she held the board and cried. Her hands touched the board as she tried to feel any part of him still left on it. She shook her head, "No, please…let this be a dream…please, not Ed…I just got him back…"  
  
"Claire?"  
  
She whipped her head around and saw Sloan at the door. She wiped off her tears with her hands, "Sloan, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," her voice was shaky as she tried to talk in between the sobs.  
  
Sloan walked in and looked around, "I'm sorry, Claire." She rushed to Claire, the two women embraced and cried. "I…I…"  
  
"Why, Sloan…why?..." Claire asked as she broke away from Sloan and held the board again.  
  
"I'm asking the same thing," Sloan said as she wiped her tears away.  
  
"He used this yesterday, you know. This was his favorite…" Claire looked at it, "I'm going to keep it, in fact, I'm going to bring it into the house." Claire tucked the board under her arm and walked outside. She locked the door and the two of them went back into the house. Claire leaned the board up against the wall.  
  
"Claire, why don't you come back to the Agency, everyone is there and they're worried about you," Sloan said.  
  
Claire turned around, tears streaming down her face, "NO! I don't ever want to go back there again. I'm turning in my resignation and the Official can have…" she paused, she couldn't get the words out, 'Ed's keeper be Darien's new keeper', she choked on those words as they left her mouth.  
  
Sloan looked down at the floor, "Please, Claire, don't…"  
  
"You don't understand, I can't go back there because every time I look into Darien's face…I'll…I'll see Ed. That's why I can't go back! I don't want to see Darien ever again!" Claire fell to her knees, "Ed…Ed…" her body shook as she repeated his name over and over.   
  
Sloan sat down with her on the floor, "We'll stay here then." Sloan had managed to get Claire to the couch and a short time later, she had fallen asleep from all the emotional exertion.   
  
~*~  
  
Darien and Hobbes met Ray and Walter at the scene of the accident. The burnt out remains of the van lay on it's side and was still covered in the yellow plastic. Pieces of the van lay strewn around the area. Things like hub caps, a door believed to have been on the passenger side was blown off on impact, shattered glass, other unrecognizable parts of the van and items from inside the van as well including Ed's cell phone. Walter was talking with some men in black suits and was clearly giving them orders. Darien had thought to himself that any minute now they would pull out neuralizers and start zapping all the police officers and the curious onlookers.   
  
Ray walked up to Darien, "I'm sorry, Fawkes. I know how much he meant to you, to all of us."  
  
"Thanks, and I'm sorry too. You knew him longer and this must be even harder on you." Darien looked back at the van. "Did you uh…see him?"  
  
Ray looked down at the ground, "Yeah, I did. And it will stick in my mind for the rest of my life."  
  
Darien took a deep breath. "So, what did you find out?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, there are no skid marks from the van. So we can rule out him being run off the road. The van exploded on impact. I've talked to witnesses and they saw nothing, just the van coming over the side. Right now, the locals see it as an accident or a suicide."   
  
"Nah, I don't believe that," Darien said as he watched the flat bed tow truck pull up in front of the van. He turned his body so his back was to the van.  
  
Ray glanced at Hobbes and they turned away also. "I'm with you on this, Fawkes. This was no accident or suicide," Ray said.  
  
"I have a question though," Hobbes said.  
  
Darien and Ray turned their attention to Hobbes. He looked at the both of them, "What was Ed doing out this way anyway? This road would have taken him north of the agency."  
  
"That was my first thought. Maybe he was meeting someone that we didn't know about." Ray added.  
  
Darien looked at Hobbes, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
  
"I don't know, you're the one with the direct dial up to my mind, my friend." Hobbes studied Darien for a moment, "Wait, you're thinking Arnaud is still alive and had something to do with this?"  
  
"Could be, I mean either Ed was meeting Arnaud here or he was driven here by someone to make it look like an accident. He could have been knocked out and then put in the driver's seat and the van pushed over the edge." Darien said. His hands were still stuffed in his pockets and he watched the sea gulls in the sky. Life goes on.  
  
"That's a possibility and for now, I'd say let's keep that between us," Ray commented.  
  
Ed's Keeper came up to them. He had a horrified look on his face. "I…uh…"  
  
"What's wrong?" Hobbes asked and then he shot a quick glance at Darien.  
  
"I think the gland is gone," the Keeper said he slowly looked around the three men.  
  
Darien's face showed anger. Ray looked confused, "How do you know?"  
  
"I was examining the remains and it looks like there's a uhmm…hole in the back of his head. I'll know for sure when I do an autopsy."  
  
Darien started to breath heavily now. Hobbes took out his gun to make sure it was loaded. Darien put his hand on top of the gun to stop Hobbes, "This is my job, Hobbes. That Swiss miss mutha has gone too far."  
  
The Keeper put his hand on Darien's arm. Darien looked at it and then glared at the Keeper. He quickly took his hand away, "Look, I'm not even sure yet that the man in that van is even Dr. Tate. I have a sample here for a DNA comparison. Let me do that first and make sure it's him before you go seeking revenge."  
  
Darien watched as the men worked to load the remains of the van on the truck. He glared back at the Keeper, "Okay, I'll wait. But in the mean time, I'm still going to look for Arnaud. He'll run again and I'm not about to let him get away this time, especially since he's already hurt."  
  
"Fair enough," replied the Keeper.  
  
"Aren't they even going to remove Ed from the van?" Darien asked with a hint of infuriation in his voice.   
  
The Keeper looked back at the van being prepared to be lifted on the tow truck, then he turned his gaze back to Darien, "No, the explosion on impact caused Dr. Tate to be…" he stopped and decided not to mention the true condition of Ed's body, "…we're going to do that somewhere else and then transport the body…"  
  
"Not a body, damn it…that's Ed, you understand me!?!" Darien said angrily as he pushed his finger into the Keeper's chest and then stormed off.   
  
Hobbes walked up to the Keeper and patted him on the shoulder. Hobbes didn't say a word but merely nodded and walked off to chase his partner down. Tom showed up just in time to see Darien storm off.   
  
Darien stood by the shoreline with his hands in his pockets. Hobbes walked up behind him, "How you holding up, kid?"  
  
Darien shook his head from side to side as she looked down at the ground, "I don't get it Hobbes, I just don't get it."  
  
"Get what?"  
  
"I'm not so sure it was Arnaud, I mean there were those other people there at his house, maybe they had something to do with it," Darien looked straight out over the ocean.  
  
"Maybe were supposed to think it was Arnaud so we would go after him and finish him off, if he's still alive. It would throw us off the trail of those who are responsible," Hobbes said. "Come on, let's go back to the Agency and see what we can find."   
  
Tom watched as Darien and Hobbes left. He continued his conversation with Ray and then met up with Walter.  
  
~*~  
  
"You ruined my life!" Ed said bitterly. If he could jump off the table and strangle the woman he would. 'Claire…oh God…Claire,' he could see her in his mind. He closed his eyes and concentrated on sending her a message that he was alive.  
  
"Don't be so dramatic, Dr. Tate, it's not like you," the Lady walked over to the other side of the table.   
  
Ed's eyes snapped opened, "Dramatic…you bitch! How the hell do you think I'm supposed to respond? With a smile and say 'thank you'? You used us to cover up the government's biggest blunder and now you've taken me away from the woman I love! Damn you!" Ed's eyes shot open wide in surprise because he just let the cat out of bag, 'Oh way to go, Tate, wrong time to let it slip,' he mentally slapped himself.  
  
The Lady glared at Ed, "What did you just say?"  
  
"I uhh…" Ed closed his eyes. "Damn," he was in no position to lie and he knew that other people in the room heard his outburst.  
  
The Lady leaned down and glared at Ed, "Tell me about your discovery."  
  
"It's only a hypothesis, I have no proof," Ed reiterated. "But I get the distinct impression that I wasn't that far off the mark." Ed looked around at the curious faces and sighed, "Alright, look, I read the article in 'Nature' magazine about the homo sapien skulls they found in Ethiopia. They're dated to be older than the known Neanderthals in Europe. It would appear that we didn't evolve from Neanderthals, but actually from these early humans that bare a striking resemblance to modern humans. These Ethiopian humans migrated to Europe, their stronger DNA of course helped in wiping out the lesser Neanderthals, natural selection sort of thing. Now, it took thousand of years for the skin pigmentation, eye and hair color to change to match the various climates in Europe."  
  
The group listened to Ed intently as he continued to talk, "We know for that the dominants came from Southern Mexico. Not even a generation has passed from the new species, yet the dominants have all sorts of hair, eye, and skin color. If they started in Mexico, they should all resemble the indigenous people from that region. As you know, they don't. The people that came from the surrounding village are indigenous to that region. The only other explanation is that they were created, by man, an experiment that went terribly wrong. So, technically speaking, they did evolve, just not from a natural course like we believed. We humans have been responsible for the extinctions of hundreds of species and we nearly caused the extinctions of other species. Now it looks like we are responsible for the evolution of man." Ed stared at the Lady for a moment and then spoke, "Now, are you going to tell me how it happened?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Dr. Tate, but that is a question I can not answer."   
  
Ed frowned, "It figures, more bureaucratic red tape. You've been nothing but a thorn in our side since we got involved with the whole dominant issue."  
  
"I don't care, Dr. Tate. But you do realize that since you're close to the answer I can't very well let you go. If it got out it would be an embarrassment for the government. And I know you want to serve your country."  
  
Ed paused for a moment, "The genome therapy…you want me to continue my research so that you can *fix* the mistake."  
  
The Lady scoffed at Ed's remark, "Dr. Tate, you have no intention on perfecting the serum except to help Agent Fawkes. Your serum has been perfected already and a way to deliver it is in motion. So, this isn't about your research."  
  
Ed stared off, "Perfected?" He remembered that the information had been on his laptop the night it was taken from Sloan's apartment. He glared at her, "What do you mean a way to deliver the serum is in motion? You can't be serious even after all this time? There are dominants who want peace don't you realize that?"  
  
The Lady looked around and turned her attention back to Ed, "Peace? Not a chance, they can't be trusted and you of all people should know that."  
  
Ed sneered at her, "You're the one who can't be trusted."  
  
"I'm doing what I have to do to preserve the human race, Dr. Tate. Meanwhile, you're a traitor to your species. You're friends with them and you've helped them in the past. I had such high hopes for you. When Walter called me and told me about your plan for the serum I had thought that you, unlike Walter, had seen the big picture. But, I'm willing to forget all that because now there's something else I want you to do for us."  
  
"I really don't believe you. You kidnap me, fake my death, you have me strapped down to a table and now you want me to do you a favor? Lady you are one messed up haole." Ed looked at the other people standing around him. Their eyes were locked on him like he was a magician at a kids' magic show.  
  
"Disappear for us, Dr. Tate." The woman's voice was cold and emotionless.  
  
Ed looked around and turned his attention to the Lady, "What?"  
  
"One way or another, Dr. Tate, you will help us. So, please make this easier on yourself."  
  
Ed watched as a table was rolled up beside him with some ominous looking devices on it. "What are going to do to me?" Ed asked nervously.  
  
A scientist walked up to Ed, "Research, Dr. Tate, and you're it. I want to know how that gland works."  
  
~*~  
  
Darien and Hobbes went back to the Agency. Darien had phoned Darcy and told her what happened, she was very distraught and decided to go over and see Claire. Darien plopped down on his chair and leaned his head back. He thought back to that first time he and Ed saw each other. He was in that clean room at the military base and Ed was on the other side of the window. "You know, Hobbes, I wish I had a camera the first time Ed and I saw each other, the look on his face was priceless," Darien paused, "I guess I have a whole new set of memories to hold onto."  
  
"Look, Fawkes, we don't have to do this now, we can wait," Hobbes said as he sat down across from Darien.  
  
Darien shook his head, "Nah, I want to find out who ever did this. I haven't been able to get revenge for Kevin, but I sure as hell am not gonna sit around and let someone get away with this."  
  
"Let's get started then." Hobbes turned on his computer and went to work.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed woke up and looked around, the last thing he remembered was the pain. His arms were still immobile and so were his legs. He had hoped that maybe he was dreaming, "So, this is real." His head hurt, in fact his whole body hurt. He knew they weren't done or else he would've been released by now. He glanced around and inspected the room he was in. There was a large window and he knew what that was for. So that he couldn't see the really important big wigs staring at him like a prized King Kong. There was medical equipment all around and a chair that didn't look comfortable at all. He wondered if that was meant for him or someone else. It would keep him immobile particularly his head. 'It's for me,' he resigned himself to that fact.   
  
He could see the tests being analyzed on the monitors and the printers spat out papers of those results. Someone was definitely doing a thorough research, but how thorough would they get? Ed decided that he had nothing to lose after all and tried to quicksilver the restraints but it was no use. They knew ahead of time and were well prepared. Another thing that Ed noticed was that he was still hooked up to machines that beeped and took internal pictures. Electrodes were mainly on his head, but his chest was adorned with them also. Of course, they wouldn't want their lab rat to suddenly have a heart attack.  
  
"You're awake, good, now we can start the next phase of our tests," the voice behind him said.  
  
Ed couldn't stretch to see who it was, "What are you doing to me?" At that moment a shot of pain raced from the back of his head. All he could do was arch his back and moan. The monitors around him sounded alarms and people in lab coats came over to watch. They talked and pointed at Ed and didn't even try to comfort him. He was just an experiment and he was something new for them to study.  
  
They were fascinated by the first signs of quicksilver madness. They quickly studied the printouts of Ed's response to the sudden pain. Ed looked at them pleading with his eyes through the pain until it ended. Someone had turned his wrist around, removed the restraint and then reattached it. Ed heard him speak words he hoped he really didn't hear, "Eight are red, how fascinating and what an ingenious device."  
  
"I'm going to need counteragent," Ed said as his voice quivered. His whole body ached even worse then before now.   
  
"I'm afraid we can't do that, at least not now, we're going to conduct some more tests while you go through the stages of quicksilver madness," the voice behind him said.  
  
Ed looked around and fear gripped him, "No, don't this to me!" He shouted at the man behind him.  
  
"Sorry, Dr. Tate, but it's all in the name of science."  
  
A bite block was forced into Ed's mouth and strapped to his head. He breathed heavily through his nostrils as he glared at the scientist, "This is so that you'll have something to bite down on and plus your moans won't disturb our work."  
  
Ed's face showed the state of rage he was in and a muffled curse was all he could get out. Ed tried to shake the block out of his mouth, but the strap was too tight. He struggled in the restraints but could not break free.  
  
The scientist shook his head, "Now, now, Dr. Tate, you can struggle all you want, but you won't break free of those restraints. You can try quicksilvering them, but that won't work either, only bring you closer to madness." The scientist walked away.  
  
It's a good thing Ed was gagged or else the whole room would have been filled with the myriad of curses that tried to flow from his mouth. In his younger days, it would have meant a one-way ticket to the bathroom and a bar of soap for a gag. Ed was known for his quick outbursts of fury and today was no different. However, with the onset of quicksilver madness, his temper was as hot as molten lava fresh out of a volcano.  
  
She gazed at the human lying on the table in bewilderment from across the room. These humans didn't show compassion for one of their own, they went against everything that she was taught. Just by their actions, she would have mistaken them for dominants. The sudden onslaught of pain took her attention away from the printouts in her hands. She had heard about the one who could turn invisible; her father had told her about it and now there was another.  
  
The human moaned, but his sounds were muffled. She could sense the pain he was in but also the fear that held him and would not let him go. She was curious to learn about this quicksilver madness, to study how it happens and how to cure it.   
  
"Don't do this to me!" Was the look written all over the man's face, but no one cared and no one paid attention. The scientists in the room worked around him as if he wasn't even there. What did he do to deserve this kind of treatment? He had after all come up with the genogenesis serum, discovered the dominants gene altering ticks and stopped Copeland, wasn't he on their side?  
  
There were also other emotions coming from him. They puzzled her at first. Along with the fear, there was anger, an anger that was as volatile as any angry dominant. It was as if he was fighting with himself, trying to keep something inside…trying to stay in control.  
  
~*~  
  
Everyone sat and waited in Walter's office. Several boxes of Kleenex lay empty around the room. Sloan and Darcy had managed to talk Claire into going back to the Agency to be with everyone. Claire was reluctant at first, but she understood that she couldn't fault Darien for looking like Ed. Sloan had used the old 'Do you think that's what Ed would want?' routine and it worked. They waited for Ed's Keeper to come in with the DNA results. It had been hours since he started running tests and they were getting inpatient. Even though they all suspected what the outcome would be anyway. The van was his and since he hadn't shown up for work yet or had contacted anyone, it was pretty much accepted that Ed was the one in the van.   
  
Tom sat with Sloan in his arms. She sat motionless and hadn't cried for a while now. She missed Ed already and desperately tried to remember what they had shared during their friendship. The good times as well as the bad and they had a few.  
  
Tom was taught that if dominants felt pity and compassion that that would be their downfall. He didn't see it that way. He saw it as being true to himself. Pity and compassion drove him to protect his friends. Tom thought of the night that he and Ed found themselves in a situation that would either break or make their friendship. It was a night that they would have to work together if they were going to get out alive.  
  
Four years earlier.  
  
A small plane zipped through the night time sky. The moon was full and not a single cloud blocked the stars. It had been almost a year since the night Tom was taken and Ed nearly overdosed on the sedative. Tom was nursed back to health with Ed's help. But even after that, the two men had not become friends like Tom had hoped.  
  
Ed still had some issues with Tom, mainly trust. Ed knew that it was dominants that saved him. He had spent four long months living with dominants in many areas. But those were dominants that were not trained under Lewis to be Chameleons. That's what blocked Ed from completely being able to trust Tom. He saw Tom as a Chameleon, a trained killer, someone who could blend in and go for the kill; after all he was sent to kill Sloan in the first place. He couldn't get himself past that level that Sloan had reached long ago.  
  
Now, Ed found himself sitting on a small airplane going God knows where with Tom. Walter had sent the two men on a mission for the first time since he joined Tom and Sloan on their trip to Mexico. Ed sat with his arms folded as he looked out at the sky. He missed the lab, he missed his surfboard and most of all he missed Sloan.  
  
From the corner of his eye he saw Tom slowly rise from his seat. Tom turned his head and looked at Ed sternly.  
  
"What is it?" Ed asked.  
  
"Get your head down," Tom said with no emotion as he made his way to the front of the plane.  
  
"What?" Ed called out. "Put my head down?" he quizzically asked himself looking around. Everything appeared to be normal. He looked up again and saw Tom talking with the pilots. Ed stood up, "Tom, what's going on?" Ed didn't have to wait for an answer.  
  
The plane suddenly made a sharp turn and nose dived before leveling off. Ed desperately tried to balance himself, but to no avail. He ended up falling over seats and hit the floor hard. Tom had seen him thrashing about trying to keep his balance. He yelled out to Ed, "Stay down!"  
  
Ed looked at Tom disgustedly from the floor, "No problem." He spoke softly as he performed a mental exam on himself. "Possibly a cracked rib or two or three," then he yelled out, "What the heck is going on?"  
  
"We're being chased," Tom said.  
  
"Again!?! Who is it this time?" Ed asked very annoyed.  
  
"Dominants." Tom replied.  
  
"Why am I not surprised," Ed said with his fists balled up.  
  
"Hang on!" The pilot yelled out as the plane nose dived and turned.  
  
Ed held on to the seats so he wouldn't fly around the cabin again. "I can't believe this. I'm gonna die on an airplane with Tom." The thought didn't please him.   
  
What happened next was unexpected. Bullets started to riddle the cabin. Ed covered his head, "What the!?!"  
  
"There shooting at us!" Tom yelled.  
  
"No kidding," Ed said to himself. "Can't we get away from them?"  
  
"Ed, brace yourself, we're going down!" Tom yelled.  
  
"My God!" Tom's words sunk in and Ed immediately thought of his mother. Would he ever she her again? He turned his body around so his feet were forward and he was on his back. He braced himself with his feet and held on to the seat with his hands. He could clearly look out the cockpit window.   
  
The plane shook violently as it headed towards the ground. Ed squeezed his eyes shut and prayed for a quick death. The wings of the plane hit the tree tops and broke off bit by bit.   
  
"God, I know I'm an anthropologist and study evolution, but please don't hold that against me," Ed prayed. He had grown up going with his mother to the local Episcopalian Church every Sunday. When he told her that he was going to study evolution she had frowned on the idea, but deep down inside she knew that God would use even that to touch the heart of her son. After the thought of his mother, another image leapt into his mind.  
  
*He and Sloan were in his van as he drove them to Arrowhead. Sloan had wanted to show something to Ed, the cave that Tom had showed her the night before.  
  
"I really appreciate you coming all the way out here with me."  
  
"No problem," Ed said in an aggravated tone. "Actually, I like Arrowhead. I've done quite a bit of climbing out here."  
  
"So have I."  
  
"You mean the mud I saw on your shoes back at the lab?" Ed looked at Sloan as he drove. Sloan nodded.  
  
"Ok, look, I've gotten you this far. Now it's your turn. Will you tell me what we're doing here?" Ed didn't like the way Sloan was keeping this secret from him. He trusted her, but why was she finding it hard to trust to him?  
  
"I have to show you something. If...we can find it. I'm not really sure what it means. Or even what it really is. But...it scares me."  
  
"So why didn't you tell me?" Ed asked concerned. Something was scaring her.  
  
"I'm telling you now."  
  
Ed, a little irritated now, snapped back, "No you're not."  
  
Sloan couldn't bring herself to tell him about Tom, not yet anyway. "I just...look I just really need you to roll with me on this one. To take a leap of faith, okay?"  
  
"How come I'm always the one taking the leap of faith?" Ed said as he looked away from Sloan.*  
  
Ed opened his eyes and saw that the plane was about to hit the ground, "Leap of faith…I'm taking a leap of faith!!!!" Ed called out as the plane hit the ground and skidded before it broke apart.  
  
Tom had found Ed a few feet away from the plane wreckage. Apparently he had been thrown when the plane broke apart as it skidded across the rocky terrain. He checked Ed for any injuries. When Ed didn't groan or show any other obvious signs of pain or injury he carried him into the forest for cover. He found the first aid kit and some other items that might be useful. There was nothing Tom could do for the pilots, they had died on impact.   
  
Tom needed Ed to wake up so they could get moving. The dominants were sure to know of their location and would be racing to get to them. Tom wasn't in the mood to deal with dominants right now, he needed to take care of Ed and get them both to safety. He suspected that Lewis was behind all this and didn't want him to get his hands on Ed.  
  
A presence coming down the hall shook Tom from his memory. He stared at Darien and Darcy, they knew who was coming down the hall as well and they knew the answer already.  
  
The Keeper walked in and closed the door. All eyes were on him. He let out a big sigh, "The DNA of the victim matches Dr. Tate's, I'm sorry." There was silence in the room. Everyone just stared at one another in shock.  
  
Hobbes broke the silence, "What else did you find out?"  
  
"Well, if it helps, he was dead already when the van went off the cliff."  
  
Sloan and Claire started crying again, more out of relief than anything. Ray spoke up next, "Looks like we're looking at murder. Anything else you can tell me?"  
  
"The gland was harvested and I suspect that's what killed him. I'm sorry to have to say this but…who ever took the gland took the part of Dr. Tate's brain that it was attached to." The Keeper looked down at the floor.  
  
Darien stood up and paced around the room heatedly. Claire and Sloan cried even harder. Hobbes held Claire tight, his own anger welling up inside of him. Ray turned away; he had seen many things as a detective but nothing like this.   
  
"Why? Why would someone do that?" Sloan asked.  
  
"Someone was desperate to get the gland and was in a hurry to get it," Walter said sadly. He didn't want to think about what Ed's last moments might have been like.  
  
"Just to let you know, that Ed didn't feel a thing, I found residue of an anesthetic in his system. I doubt if he knew."  
  
"No, he knew what was about to happen, trust me." Darien remembered when Arnaud nearly operated on him. He remembered looking up into Arnaud's eyes when the gas mask was put on him. Ed must have gone through the same thing.  
  
Sloan shook her head and turned to cry on Tom's shoulder.  
  
"I wasn't there to protect him," Darien said. Darcy put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. She could feel the anger in him and she was worried that he wouldn't be able to control himself.  
  
"It wasn't your fault, Darien. Please don't blame yourself," Darcy said through tears.  
  
"I'm going to rip someone's brain out and stuff it down their throat!!" Darien yelled and stormed out. Darcy, without saying a word, went out after him.  
  
"Dr. Attwood, I hate to ask this, but what do I do with Ed's body?"  
  
Walter sat stunned; he didn't think he would ever hear those words. He didn't say anything. He just sat there. Just a short time ago he was ordered to harvest the gland if counteragent wasn't found; he prayed that he didn't have to go that far. But now, he felt as if he had done the procedure himself.   
  
"Dr. Attwood?"  
  
"What? Oh, I'm sorry…uhmm…I should call his mother first and let her decide that. In the mean time, I guess the city morgue will do for now. If you all would excuse me." He had called her in the morning to let her know that Ed may have been in an accident, but they weren't sure. He had told her that he would call her later to let her know.   
  
Everyone got up very slowly and walked out. No one said a word, they were too busy crying or were just too stunned.  
  
Walter dialed the number, it rang a few times and then a woman's voice picked up. "Hello, Ms. Morgan, this is Dr. Walter Attwood again…I'm sorry that I have to be the one to tell you, but it was Ed, I'm sorry, Ms. Morgan, I'm very sorry…"  
  
On the other end of the phone, Walter heard a mother's wail.  
  
"My baby!!! Not my baby!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
Ed's Keeper was in his office cleaning it out when Walter walked in. He looked up, "Oh Walter, I thought I'd just go ahead and start packing up. I don't think I'm needed here anymore."  
  
"I'm afraid so, but as much as I hate to do this I could use you now," Walter put his hands in his pockets.  
  
"I can't replace Ed, besides I don't think the others would appreciate you replacing him so fast. No, I think it's best if I leave. I was brought here because of the gland and now well, you know." The Keeper put his books in the box. He handed Walter a disk, "For what it's worth, here is the information I gathered in my research on the gland and what Claire had done. Maybe she can use it to help Darien."  
  
Walter looked at the disk and sighed heavily, "Thanks, but you will need to keep all of this a secret?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sworn to secrecy. I'm a doctor, Walter, doctor/patient confidentiality, remember?" The Keeper put out his hand, "Thanks, Walter. I'm sorry it had to work out this way. Dr. Tate was a good man and a damn good scientist."  
  
Walter shook his hand, "That he was." Walter watched as the Keeper left. He twirled the disk in his hand and walked out.  
  
TBC… 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16  
  
Hobbes and Claire had found Darien and Darcy in Ed's office. Darien had been sitting there nearly catatonic. Darcy had to slap him on his face just to get him to snap out of it. Darien didn't even remember walking into the lab or sitting at Ed's desk.  
  
"Look buddy, I want to take Claire home. Tom and Sloan have agreed to stay the night so she won't be alone," Hobbes said. He looked over at Claire, she looked horrible and it broke his heart to see her like that. It also made him feel bad that he harbored such ill feelings towards her relationship with Ed. Clearly she had been happy and Ed was the source of that. He wished now that he gotten to know Ed a little bit more.  
  
Darien looked up at him, "I'm surprised you don't want to spend the night."  
  
"Darien G. Fawkes!" Darcy snapped angrily.   
  
"Fawkes, that hurts," Hobbes frowned at Darien's harsh words. "You think I'm glad that Ed is dead and now I can move in on Claire? I'm surprised you think of me that way. You think that I'm happy about this? No, my friend, I'm angry, I want to ring that Swiss miss mutha's neck or whoever for that matter for what he did to Ed! It was callous and heartless."  
  
Darien looked at Hobbes for a long tense moment. His facial expression changed and the tension diminished, "Heartless is a synonym for callous."  
  
"Oh…" Hobbes looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry, Fawkes, I really am."  
  
Darien sighed, "I'm sorry too, Hobbes, I shouldn't have said that."  
  
"Understandable, you're angry." Hobbes looked at Claire who didn't seem to notice the conversation between the two men. "We better take her home," Hobbes turned to look at Fawkes again. Darien shook his head in agreement.  
  
They helped Claire to her feet. "Come on, Claire, lets take you home," Hobbes said.  
  
"Oh…okay." Claire said as if she had no idea what was going on.  
  
~*~  
  
The doctor took out the bite block, "I need you to answer some questions for me."  
  
"Give me counteragent and I'll see what I can do," Ed glared at him. He glanced around quickly and then back at the scientist standing beside him.   
  
"Well, I can't do that." He sat down next to Ed and eyed him cautiously.   
  
"Then I guess I won't answer any questions, so you can just continue with your distorted version of science and watch me suffer," Ed said bitterly.  
  
"This will help you."  
  
Ed glared at him, "And how the hell is this supposed to help me?"  
  
He looked at Ed, "You should know that by now?"  
  
"You know, it's not nice to answer a question with a question?" Ed gritted his teeth and moaned as another wave of pain coursed through his head. The restraints kept him from moving around too much. The headaches were becoming more intense and he knew he was close. But how far would they let him go. When the pain subsided, Ed looked fiercely at the scientist, "Give me the damn counteragent."  
  
"Again, as I stated before, I can't do that."  
  
"And you call yourself a doctor, what about the damn oath you took? Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Ed hissed.  
  
"Yes, it does, and that's what I'm doing. We want to try and cure you and we can't do that until we have all the information we need about the gland. And that includes during the stages of quicksilver madness. Sorry, Dr. Tate, but you're going to have to go through this. Open, Dr. Tate," the scientist said as he held the bite block, "According to the red streaks in your eyes and the tattoo on your wrist, you're about to go into stage three and we need to start the tests again."  
  
With defiance in his voice and in his eyes, Ed answered, "Make me!"  
  
The scientist sighed, "Very well, I have expected this behavior from you at this point," he looked up and snapped his fingers twice. A very large guard walked over to assist the scientist. In the end, the bite block was in Ed's mouth and muffled the curses emanating from him. The scientist smiled and waited for stage 3.  
  
~*~  
  
Tom had let Pavlov out when they got to the house. He had used the extra keys that Ed had made for them. Even Darien had keys to the house. With everything that had been going on lately, Ed wanted to make sure they had easy access into the house just in case.   
  
Sloan sat on the couch in an eerie silence. She looked around and saw a little bit of Ed and Claire in the décor. Claire was more traditional and Ed leaned more towards the Polynesian style. Sloan smiled remembering how they compromised on their tastes. It reminded her of that show on Home and Garden Television, 'Designing for the Sexes'. Except that Ed and Claire didn't disagree as much as some of those couples.   
  
She thought back to the time when she and Walter had finally met up with Ed and Mark. She was happy to see that Ed had survived, but that didn't keep Walter from chewing out Ed about scientific protocol. Walter had four months to think about how he was going to blast Ed for what he did. That was the one and only time Walter had been that angry with him. She remembered how Ed had stood there with his head lowered. The entire time they spent inside one of the trucks, Ed sat there in the corner with his knees up to his chest and his face buried in his arms. He had taken the whole situation and placed it on his shoulders, it was his fault they had to flee for four months, it was his fault that Tom was taken and his fault that the notes on his serum where now in the wrong hands. Sloan had tried to talk to him, but he didn't want to. He would ask Sloan politely to leave him alone. She knew being stuck in the tiny compartment in the truck wasn't easy on him because of his slight claustrophobia. It was only a matter of time before it all got to him and it did. He finally broke down.  
  
Sloan had forgotten about that memory and wondered why of all times it came back to her and then she realized her original thought was on the décor. She smiled as she remembered the time when Tom had been nursed back to health and they had all told him about their travels. Ed had told Tom how he wanted to pick up some things in Tahiti, Hawaii and even some Aborigine things from Australia when he and Mark were on the run. Mark recounted that he was upset with Ed when he kept insisting on stopping to get information to order online as they made their way back to the States. Mark just couldn't understand this human desire for 'souvenirs'. Ed knew that he couldn't carry the stuff with him or risk having it sent to his mother's house. Plus he didn't exactly have the money either and activity on his bank account would only give him away.   
  
Sloan smiled as she tried to imagine how aggravated the two men had been with each other. If there was ever a time when co-existence was tested, it was with those two.   
  
Ed and Mark had both reenacted their confrontation for Tom and the others. "If the dominants and your government don't kill you first, then I'll do it myself!" Mark had said to Ed. The two men were toe to toe and both nearly the same height.  
  
"I just may inject you with the genome therapy myself!" Ed retorted.  
  
Everyone had laughed when they were done and Tom had remarked that he was surprised that Mark had stayed with Ed as long as he did. It was a good experience for Mark as well as Ed. Now they both had a better understanding of the two species.  
  
Tom walked in with Pavlov, "Sloan?"  
  
Startled, Sloan turned her head, "Oh, Tom…" She saw something dangling from Pavlov's mouth. "Oh my God," Sloan covered her mouth. Pavlov had found the necklace that she had given Ed to replace the one that Arnaud had cut off.  
  
Tom sat down next her, "I'm sorry, I thought that…I think we should give it to Claire."  
  
Sloan shook her head, "Yes, I think she would like that. Where did you find it?"  
  
"Pavlov found it out front," Tom motioned with his hand the direction of where the necklace was found.  
  
Sloan followed his hand and thought for a moment. "But Ed parked his van in the opposite direction. You think he tried to run?"  
  
Tom looked at her, "Possible, yes, he may have put up a fight and the necklace came off during the struggle."  
  
Sloan turned to face the ocean. In her mind the scene played out. She saw Ed running and then being caught, struggling to break free, the necklace popping off and falling to the ground.  
  
"Sloan?" Tom said her name with concern.  
  
"I was just thinking of how Ed might have fought. He must have felt so helpless…Poor Ed," Sloan looked at Tom and leaned on his shoulder.  
  
"Ed was a very brave human; I'm sure he put up a good fight."  
  
At Toms' words, Sloan cried.  
  
~*~  
  
When Ed's Keeper returned home, his cell phone rang. He put his things down and grabbed for his phone. He saw who was calling; he rolled his eyes, "Yes."  
  
"How did it go?"  
  
"It went as planned. They believe that Dr. Tate is dead and that Arnaud may have had something to do with it. Also the body will be cremated as requested by Dr. Tate's mother. Dr. Attwood had a hand in that without me even getting involved. So, you won't have to worry about any suspicious minds requesting a DNA from the body itself."  
  
"Good work, doctor. What about Agent Fawkes?"  
  
"He was too upset to realize that anything was going on. Guess those drama classes paid off."  
  
"When will you be leaving?"  
  
He pulled another disk out of his briefcase and stared at it, "I'm already packed and ready to go. Oh and I do have all the information you wanted. How is he doing?"  
  
"He's performing his tricks for us."  
  
"I'll be there as soon as I can," he hung up and put the phone away. He thought back to everyone and how they reacted. He felt bad for doing what he did, but this was what he was hired to do. Knowing that this his time would be short, he didn't really bring anything with him. He quickly packed his car and got in. He sat there for a few moments and then said, "Forgive me for putting you all through this hell; I know you won't understand why I did it. I'm sorry, especially for Ed's family and for you, Claire." With that said, he headed for Nevada.   
  
~*~  
  
Darcy helped Claire into the house. She just walked in and sat down on the couch. Pavlov scampered up to her and wagged his tail. He then ran to the door and waited. Darien walked in and looked down at the furry dog sadly. Pavlov sniffed him and then turned his attention back to the door. Darien bent down and picked him up and carried him to the kitchen.  
  
"I'm sorry pal," Darien gave Pavlov a treat and he refused it. Darien frowned, "You know something's not right don't you?" Darien put him down and he ran to sit at the front door again. After a few moments he laid down with his face towards the door.  
  
Tom walked up to Darien and handed him the necklace. Darien stared at it in his hands. "What you got there, partner?" Hobbes asked as he walked up to him. Darien looked towards the living room. Hobbes put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, Sloan and Darcy are with her."  
  
Darien nodded. "It's Ed's necklace," Darien replied as he looked down at his hand.  
  
"Where'd you find it?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"Pavlov found it out front," Tom said. "He found it over in that direction. Ed's van was parked over here. I'm guessing that Ed tried to get away."  
  
Hobbes shook his head, "Hmmm…could be. Ed would not have left it if it had fallen off while bending over to pick up the paper. It must have fallen off during a struggle." Hobbes thought for a moment and then he glanced over at Claire, "She looks bad."  
  
Darien glanced over at Claire; he opened up to read her emotions and her mind. "She's in denial. Her mind is telling her that Ed is still alive. She's expecting him to walk through the door any moment." He walked towards her and sat down on the couch next to her. She didn't even move she just stared at nothing in particular.  
  
Sloan was holding her hand, "She's in shock, Darien."  
  
Darien shook his head and then held up the necklace, "Claire, who does this belong to?"  
  
"Oh that's Ed's." She took it in her hand, "I better put it somewhere safe. It'll just break his heart if he loses it." She got up and went up stairs.   
  
Darien and Sloan watched her walk up the stairs slowly. Hobbes and Tom gave each other quick glances of concern. Claire was not about to let him go.  
  
"I better go up with her," Sloan said as she got up. She felt Darien grab her hand. She looked at him with watery eyes.  
  
"Just go along with what ever she says," Darien looked at Sloan. She understood and headed upstairs.  
  
Darcy got up, "I'll go make some coffee."  
  
Tom and Hobbes joined Darien on the couch. Tom saw that Pavlov hadn't moved from the front door. "Curious, I've been observing the dog and he seems to know that something isn't right."  
  
Darien tilted his head to see Pavlov clearer, his tail swaying back and forth slowly on the floor. It seemed that he was waiting for Ed as well. "Yeah, he knows."  
  
"What? Your powers turned you into Dr. Doolittle too?" Hobbes asked.  
  
Darien rolled his eyes, "No, Hobbes, dogs can sense things too. When someone is sick, in danger or when someone is missing."  
  
"I know that, I just thought that you were like reading the dog's mind too or something."  
  
"Different electrical impulses," Tom added.  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Hobbes retorted. "You both freak me out sometimes. I can never tell with youse guys." He looked around and pulled the white candle out of his pocket. He placed it next to a picture of Ed that Claire had taken. It was a surfing picture, but to Hobbes it'll do for what he wanted to do. He lit the candle and recited Psalm 23. Tom and Darien watched with curiosity. When Hobbes was done he looked at the two men, "Uhmm…normally we do that if the deceased is in the room, but I think God will accept it."  
  
Darien went up to him and patted him on his shoulder, "It's the intention that counts."  
  
Hobbes looked at Darien, "I'm sorry for being mean to him. Do you think he forgives me?"  
  
"Yeah, I do, just by you doing this," Darien replied.  
  
~*~  
  
Sloan walked into the bedroom and saw Claire getting laundry out. She frowned and then remembered Darien's words. "Can I help you with that, Claire?"  
  
Claire turned her head and smiled, "I don't think Ed would like it if you saw his underwear."   
  
Sloan half heartedly smiled. She wanted to say that she had seen him in his boxers before, but decided not to push the issue.  
  
Claire looked at her watch, "Hmmm…Ed is real late. He must be…" Claire stopped and looked down at the blue scrub shirt in her hands.  
  
"Claire, are you okay?" Sloan walked towards her.  
  
"He's not late is he? And he's not at work either?" Claire's eyes became watery and her face flushed. She looked at Sloan, "He's not coming home is he?"  
  
Sloan took a hard swallow, "Claire, I'm so sorry."  
  
Claire rushed over to Sloan and collapsed in her arms. They both fell to the floor and started crying. Claire held on to the shirt tightly in her hands, "Why? Why did he have to leave me?"  
  
"Just let it out," Sloan said as she cried.  
  
Tom took a deep breath. He felt like something that was apart of him was torn away. Maybe that's what grief feels like for humans too. Like something being ripped away from your heart.  
  
Tom's memory went back to that night in the Lassen National Forrest.  
  
"Tom, I can't…I need to rest," Ed said in between gasps for air.  
  
"No, Ed, we have to keep moving." Tom grabbed Ed by his arm and flung it over his shoulder.  
  
Ed grunted, his ribs hurt, his leg hurt, his arm hurt, his head hurt and well frankly, everything hurt. "Just leave me. I'm only slowing you down," Ed said as he willed his body to pass out.  
  
"No, I won't leave you. I promised Sloan that I would take care of you," Tom pushed on through the thick brush. He didn't know how long they had been on the run. A couple of hour's maybe. Ed was getting weaker and soon they would have to rest. Tom needed Ed to help him get them out of the forest. Ed's experience in climbing and hiking will be useful. Tom of course, had the survival instincts, he could hunt for food if need be. But without Ed's knowledge of woods, he would be lost. His Chameleon training didn't cover outdoor survival techniques. If there was ever a time when they needed to trust one another it was now. Tom knew that if they didn't work together, they would be caught by Lewis' men.  
  
Tom found a nice comfortable spot. He set Ed down easily and a moan escaped Ed's mouth. Ed was running a fever.  
  
"Ed, you're running a fever, tell me what to do," Tom said as he gripped Ed's shoulders.  
  
"I uhmm…need some medication. Where's that first aid kit?"  
  
Tom searched his pockets and pulled out the things he took. He couldn't carry the box and Ed at the same time. He found some Tylenol. "Ed, all that was in there was Tylenol," Tom opened the cap and poured out two pills. He put them in Ed's hand.  
  
"Figures, are they regular or extra strength?" Ed looked at the small white pills.  
  
"Regular strength," Tom replied.  
  
"Give me one more," Ed said as he put his hand out.  
  
"Are you sure?" Tom took one more pill out.  
  
"Hey, I am a doctor; I know what I'm doing. Don't worry; three of these are 25 milligrams short of two extra strength caplets." Ed dried swallowed the pills. "Okay, now I need water and lots of it to keep from getting dehydrated."  
  
"What about the fever?" Tom asked as he looked around for something to put the water in.  
  
"I might have an infection and my body is simply trying to fight it. What I need now is rest and water." Ed leaned his head back.  
  
"I don't have anything to put the water in," Tom said.  
  
"Hmm…that would be a problem and of course sterilizing it. Okay, look for some water that doesn't have any dead animals or bones around it. When you find it come back for me and take me to it. I'll drink from it myself and risk it."  
  
"Ed, how do I find my way back?"  
  
Ed slowly raised his head, "You've got to be kidding me? Your people carved a pillar from the night sky and you're telling me that you can't follow the stars?" Ed flared his arms in an aggravated way, "Look, forget it, just take me with you and we'll look for the water together."  
  
Tom helped Ed up to his feet. He didn't have the heart to tell him that he knew, he just didn't want to leave Ed behind. He knew that Ed would fight him on it and he decided to avoid it all together by playing dumb.  
  
As they walked, Ed mumbled, "How in the world did you find Sloan and me in the woods that night?"  
  
"I sensed the both of you." Tom replied with a smile on his face.  
  
Tom was startled from his memory when someone knocked on the door. He heard Darien say that it was Walter. He watched Darien get up to answer the door. Hobbes looked at Tom oddly. "Yes, Hobbes?" Tom said.  
  
"Oh nothing, it just looked like you zoned out there for a moment," Hobbes answered.  
  
Tom thought for a moment trying to remember what 'zoned out' meant. Hanging around humans all these years was interesting. Sloan had her way of saying things, then Ed with the surfer language that would come out every now and then, Ray with his own interesting style of speech, it was a wonder that humans could communicate with each other at all.  
  
"I was just thinking about Ed," Tom said as he stood to greet Walter.  
  
Hobbes shook his head that he understood. Walter came in and took his coat off. He set it on the chair and sat down. "How are Sloan and Claire holding up?" He asked.  
  
"They're upstairs. Claire was in denial earlier, but I think she came out of it. We thought it best to leave them alone for a while. You know, the whole girl talk thing," Darien said as she sat back down.  
  
"Well, I spoke with Ms. Morgan, Ed's mom."  
  
"Oh, how is she doing?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"As far as I know, her neighbor is with her now. She took it very hard of course," Walter said folding his hands on his lap.  
  
"What else did you tell her?" Tom asked.  
  
"I didn't tell her that he was murdered. Just that it was an accident. I did tell her that he's unrecognizable and asked her what she wanted to do. She said to cremate him and send his ashes up to Laguna Beach. St. Mary's Episcopal Church has a columbarium so his ashes can be interned there. She doesn't want his ashes spread out over the ocean and since Ed never really made actual plans or discussed this issue with anyone, we should go along with the wishes of his mother."  
  
Claire and Sloan came down the stairs. The men stood up. Walter hugged Claire and then Sloan. Everyone sat back down again.   
  
"Oh I'm so rude, would anyone like anything to drink?" Claire asked.  
  
Darien hopped up and put up his hands, "No, Claire, you sit, heal, that's a good girl. Darcy is taking care of it and I better go help her if I know what's good for me."  
  
Hobbes stood up, "As tradition dictates at a time like this, I will go out and get us some food."   
  
"Oh yeah, Hobbes, that sounds great," Darien shouted from the kitchen."  
  
Hobbes rolled his eyes, "You would say that, your stomach is the bottomless pit." Tom and Sloan smiled.  
  
"Oh and Hobbes, you might want to open the door for Ray, Gracie and Matt," Darien added.  
  
"You're a freakin' walkin' security camera, my friend, you know that?" Hobbes said as he walked towards the front door. He opened it up and greeted Ray and Gracie. "Hey, Ray, Gracie and Matt, come on in. I was just going out to get some food, but I see I don't have to."  
  
Hobbes stepped out of the way and let Ray and his family in. "Hi, Hobbes," Gracie gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek. Matt followed his parents carrying some flowers. He looked very sad and it was obvious that he had been crying. Matt was a young man now at the age of fourteen and having been pulled from school for his own protection, he had very few friends. Ed helped fill that void in his life. He was like a big brother to Matt, they played basketball together, Ed helped him with some of his homework and even taught him how to surf. When his mother had told him about Ed, he had taken it badly like someone had driven a knife into his heart and twisted it.   
  
Darien came out of the kitchen faster then a bolt of lightning to help Ray and Gracie with the food, "Wow, this smells good!"  
  
"Figured you would be the first to jump in and help," Gracie said as she tapped Darien on his stomach.   
  
Claire got up to help out too but Gracie sat her right back down again, "You sit, this is what we do. WE take care of you. Don't worry, I can find my way around any kitchen."  
  
"Better listen to her, Claire," Ray said as he gave Claire a hug. "How are you holding up?"  
  
"So-so," she looked over and spotted a picture of her and Ed together. Her eyes welled up again, "I'm going to miss him so much, Ray."  
  
Gracie heard the cracking in Claire's voice and came over to her. The two women held onto each other and Gracie supported her with words of comfort. Sloan took the fresh cut flowers and put them in a vase.  
  
"Hobbes, are you still going out?" Darien asked.  
  
"If you need me to," Hobbes answered.  
  
"Yeah, we could use some other things." Darien proceeded to give Hobbes a list of things to get at the store.   
  
"Better save me a plate!" Hobbes yelled back to the group huddled around the kitchen bar.  
  
"There's plenty of food, Hobbes, my wife cooks for an army," Ray answered.  
  
~*~  
  
She watched Ed through the one way mirror. This was a well thought out plan and everything was falling into place even though Ed was never meant to have the gland implanted. She had carefully orchestrated Ed's kidnapping by Arnaud, once Ed had helped Arnaud with the gland, Arnaud was supposed to release Ed or at least allow him to escape. Then his death would follow a couple of days later. Arrangements had been made and certain people were going to be in place to fake the DNA and dental records, but when she found out that Ed had the gland that part changed. Knowing full well that the Agency would never allow the local M.E.'s office to do the autopsy, she sent in Dr. Asante Rhodes to be Ed's Keeper. He would get the DNA sample from Ed during his initial exam and use that in the fake autopsy. It had all worked out and everyone believed that Ed was dead. Even Darien was oblivious to the lie and that pleased her the most, she had outsmarted a dominant who possessed abilities like no other.  
  
She had even been able to retrieve information from Arnaud's computer during the raid and she held up a syringe of counteragent, she smiled as she watched Ed struggle through the early stages of quicksilver madness. The one thing they needed was how to fix the mutation and that was the one bit of information not retrieved. The only one who knew was Arnaud and he was probably dead by now. But that didn't matter; she had some of the top scientist in different fields working on the cure. They were able to perfect the genogenesis serum and they would find the answer for this mystery as well.   
  
She had wanted the gland harvested earlier by Walter, but actually it had turned out for the best. Now they could study the mutation and its effects. If it had been extracted from Ed, this would not have been possible. They now have a better chance of figuring out the mutation while it's still inside him.   
  
The Lady motioned to one of the scientists observing with her. He walked up to her, "Yes."  
  
"I want you to give this to Dr. Alvarez, tell him that once Dr. Tate is in stage three he's to give the counteragent to him."  
  
The scientist looked at her oddly, "I thought you wanted him to go through all the stages?"  
  
"I do, just not so quickly. This is not the full dose and it's diluted."  
  
The scientist smiled, "Hmmm…that's good. It'll give us more time to study and collect data. I'll give him the message right away."  
  
The Lady watched as the man left. A man in a military uniform walked up to her, "What was all that about?"  
  
She turned to face him, "Dr. Tate is smart, very smart. Even the dominants want him. He still maybe of some to us. The diluted counteragent should bring him back to either stage one or stage two, and the process will start all over again."  
  
"So, you're trying to break him, force him to work with us by using the madness as a bribe."  
  
"Yes. Dr. Alvarez does want him to go all the way to stage five so his research can be complete." She noticed the worried look on the General's face, "Don't worry, we have counteragent for that. Dr. Tate is probably the smartest geneticist out there, after what we'll put him through, he'll have an incentive to find the cure or else we'll just keep him going like this until he does accept our offer."  
  
"And when he does find the cure, what then?"   
  
"Then we let him go into permanent stage five, if there is one."  
  
"From the reports I read, won't he be dangerous at that stage?"  
  
"Yes, he'll be dangerous, but to whom is the question you should be asking."  
  
The General smiled, "You're going to train him to be an assassin."  
  
The Lady smiled back, "If they can train Chameleons, why can't we and as far as blending in, he'd be perfect. We will have an army of invisible agents and an invisible assassin with no thought of killing what so ever. The dominants won't stand a chance against us. Dr. Tate will be used to take out top level dominants and you are well aware of what that will do to any army."  
  
The General watched Ed struggle through another wave of pain, the image of Ed taking out the High Council in one bloody massacre brought a smile to his face. He turned to face the Lady, "Do what you have to do, you have my full support on this project."  
  
The Lady smiled, "Thank you, General." She watched as the General walked out. She turned her attention back to Ed so she could continue to watch him.   
  
Ed opened his eyes after the pain had left, suddenly he felt the fear go away quickly. He glared at the scientist standing before him. Dr. Alvarez raised the syringe and Ed's crimson eyes lit up.   
  
Dr. Alvarez smiled, "You want this don't you?"  
  
Ed shook his head in response. He wanted it and he wanted it bad, more so than the first time. By now he had received four shots of counteragent and his body craved it like never before. He stared at it like a kid in a candy store about to get his favorite piece of confection. Ed struggled in the restraints to break free so he could grab the syringe out of the scientist's hand and inject himself with what he craved.  
  
Dr. Alvarez smiled, "Here you go," he said as he injected Ed with the counteragent. He watched as the young scientist turned lab rat relaxed and then passed out. He untied the strap and watched as only three segments went from red to green. He smiled victoriously and restrained Ed's wrist again. He took the bite block out of Ed's mouth and waited.  
  
Ed suddenly jolted awake and looked around, something wasn't right. He glared at Dr. Alvarez, "What did you do?"  
  
"I gave you diluted counteragent, Dr. Tate, we need to do more research during the early stages of quicksilver madness."  
  
"DAMN YOU!" Ed yelled out furiously.   
  
"Would you like some water?" Dr. Alvarez said completely ignoring Ed's outburst.  
  
"Yes," Ed said defeated. He could feel the voice knocking at the back door of his mind again. A nurse brought over a sport bottle with some water in it. She tilted it and Ed opened his mouth. She squeezed in a generous amount and he drank it down in one gulp. She repeated this a few times until Ed said he had enough. Before Ed could say another word, the bite block was quickly shoved back in again.  
  
Dr. Alvarez turned to his assistant, "Prepare another batch of the diluted counteragent for Dr. Tate. I'd like to run some more tests later."  
  
Ed shook his head violently and cursed as best he could. He struggled to break free. Hands were on him immediately to restrain him. He glared up at Dr. Alvarez.  
  
"Be careful, Dr. Tate, you're going to hurt yourself if you continue to fight the restraints like this. They will leave a mark."  
  
'I'm gonna leave a mark on you, you son of a bitch!' Ed's words may have been muffled, but his thought was clearly written on his face. Dr. Alvarez backed away slightly and then walked away.  
  
Ed looked around with worry on his face, 'Somebody help me,' he pleaded with his eyes.  
  
The Lady observed Ed from the room, she half smiled in triumph, 'Everything is going as planned.'   
  
TBC… 


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17  
  
Claire emerged from Keep and the door closed behind her. The agency was quiet today. Actually it had been quiet since Ed's death. This was Claire's first day back after the funeral in Laguna Beach. The Official had given her time off to mourn. There were times when she hated him and other times completely surprised when he showed compassion. Since that didn't happen often, she took advantage of it and stayed home. Sloan and Gracie had offered to help pack Ed's things up, but she didn't have the heart to do that yet. She wasn't ready to take that final step and finally let him go.  
  
As she started down the hall she glanced up and saw a silhouette of a man standing in front of the glass double doors. She couldn't make out his face very well. He just stood there.  
  
She stopped, "Can I help you?"  
  
"Claire."  
  
The voice sent shivers down her spine. The man started to walk slowly towards her. His gate was familiar, graceful, confident and carefree.  
  
"Ed?" Claire asked in shocked. "It can't be…you're dead."  
  
"To quote a great writer: 'The report of my death was an exaggeration.'" Ed was closer now. He started to run towards Claire. His light blue colored lab coat flapped behind him as he ran. He stretched his arm out towards her and called out to her, "Claire!"  
  
Claire started to run also. But oddly it seemed that the hall became longer. She ran harder calling out, "ED!!!" Neither of them gained any ground, it was as if they were running on a treadmill. She was panting trying to keep up with the hall. When she slowed down the hall slowed down, if she tried to pick up her speed, the hall did also. It was like it was alive and matched whatever she would do. The hall didn't want her to touch Ed.  
  
"ED!!!" She called out again. Hands reached out from the floor and grabbed him. Ed struggled with the hands, "NO!! Don't take me!! Let me go!"   
  
Claire ran harder, "Ed!!!" She seemed to be gaining ground, "Ed! Hold on!!"  
  
Ed reached out with his hand, "Claire! Help me!!!"  
  
Claire was close enough to almost reach his hand. She looked up for a split second and saw the fear in his face, in his eyes. Like a movie playing in slow motion, his necklace slowly fell to the ground as he disappeared into the floor. She had been within inches of his hand.  
  
Claire screamed, "ED!!! Don't leave me!! Please…don't leave me!" She slowly sank to the floor. She picked up his necklace and started crying.  
  
"Claire." A voice said.  
  
"Don't leave me!!" Claire cried out to Ed.  
  
"Claire!"  
  
The voice was more demanding now. Claire even felt herself being shaken.  
  
"Claire! Wake up! You're dreaming."  
  
Claire opened her eyes. Sloan was the one calling her name. She looked at her hand and she was still holding on to the necklace. She swung her arms around Sloan and cried.  
  
~*~  
  
Tara studied the tissue sample of the gland when she sensed someone coming up from behind her. She stopped and turned around, "Dr. Alvarez, what can I do for you?" She asked hiding the disdain for the man behind her tone.  
  
"How are things coming along at your end?" He asked.  
  
She returned her attention back to her work wishing in her mind that he would just go away, "The genetic makeup of the gland is very complex, and who ever originally designed this was a genius."  
  
"Can you clone it?"  
  
"Well, that remains to be seen. Cloning would have to start from birth and since the gland is bio-synthetic only the bio part would have to 'grow' but without the synthetic part, the bio portion may not survive. The gland needs both parts in order to 'live'. So, basically what I'm working on is trying to see if I can duplicate the synthetic part and attach the cloned bio part to it to see if it'll grow that way." Tara proceeded to show Dr. Alvarez the model of her idea on her computer.   
  
"That just might work, Dr. Marsh. I'm glad that you're on our side," he patted her on her shoulder.  
  
It was all she could do to keep herself from leaping up and breaking the man's neck. She forced the temptation down. At that moment, alarms went off again and she glanced over in Ed's direction. He was going through another pain cycle. Dr. Alvarez straightened up, "Keep up the good work and keep me apprised of your findings."  
  
"Sure will," she paused and was going to say something but he was gone and by Ed's side quickly. 'Jerk,' she thought to herself. She watched the men and women in white as they studied the data being collected from Ed. She looked at the gland on her screen and then back to the humans and the one suffering, then back to her computer again. She got up and walked over to the group and waited. When they dispersed, she approached Dr. Alvarez, "You mind if I talk to him, I need some questions answered."  
  
He looked down at Ed and then back to Tara, "I guess I could allow that, he did work closely on the gland, he might have valuable information for you."   
  
"Thank you," she watched as Dr. Alvarez left. She pulled up a chair and sat down.   
  
Ed watched her closely. He moved nervously as she reached up quickly and looked at her worried. "I'm sorry, Dr. Tate, I won't hurt you, I promise," she said reassuringly as reached under his head, "I'm just going to remove this so we can talk, that's all."  
  
Ed shook his head that he understood but the fear was still there. Tara smiled at him. She removed the bite block and set it down on the mayo table next to her. Ed wet his lips with his tongue and swallowed deeply, he turned to her, "Please…help me."  
  
Tara looked down at the floor, "I'm sorry, I can't. That's not up to me."  
  
Ed turned his head away, "How long will they do this to me?"  
  
"I guess when they have all the information they need," Tara said.  
  
Ed looked at her in anger, "That's bullshit and you know it. They have all the information they need. They got it from Arnaud's computer."  
  
Tara looked at him in surprise, "How do you know about that?"  
  
"I've had a lot to time to think…" Ed cringed as another wave of pain cursed through his head. Dr. Alvarez was at his side to watch the data flash on the screen. He and a few of colleagues discussed the results and then walked away to leave. Ed opened his red streaked eyes when the pain subsided. He glared at the people that walked away from him, "Mutha fu…sorry," he said looking away.  
  
"I guess we deserve that, we're not exactly showing you hospitality are we?"  
  
"No, you're not!" Ed snapped back. Tara saw the anger in his eyes and looked away. "If you're not going to help me then ask your damn questions and then you get away from me," he said in an irritated tone.   
  
"Why did you stop working on your serum?"  
  
Ed was taken back; he did not expect that kind of question, "Why do you care?" he paused then looked up at the same old boring ceiling he's stared at for God knows how long, "That doesn't matter anymore anyway, they perfected it."  
  
"I thought that the whole purpose of what you were doing was to destroy dominants," she didn't want him to know that she was one, she was curious to find out what changed his mind.  
  
"Because a lot of them want peace and we are capable of co-existing," Ed looked at her, "When I came up with the serum, I didn't know about this until it was too late. Unfortunately there are people on both sides who don't share the same idea of co-existing and don't want it. Now…oh why the hell I'm I talking to you about it, I'm wasting my breath. If you're not going to ask me about the gland then you might as well put that thing back in my mouth and leave me the hell alone. Just go back to watching me and do your damned experiments."  
  
"You care don't you?"  
  
"Care about what?" Ed asked agitated.  
  
"About dominants."  
  
"I have friends that are dominants and only want peace. Why should that be impossible?" Ed asked.  
  
"Because of natural selection, isn't that evolution?"  
  
"No, not all the time…yes, natural selection is based on survival of the fittest. But natural selection doesn't always mean that one species wipes out another. More often than not, when one species is gone it upsets the balance of nature. There are things that we can learn from each other."  
  
"Like pity and compassion?" Tara looked at him.  
  
Ed studied her face, and then it hit him, "You're a dominant?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh this is just great," Ed looked around, "How can you join them?"  
  
Just when Tara was going to answer, Dr. Alvarez came up to them, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cut this short. We have some more tests to run."  
  
Tara stood up and looked down at Ed, "Thank you, Dr. Tate." She turned away and walked back to her computer. She sat down and took a quick glance over at Ed. She couldn't see his face but she could read the emotions. Tara thought for a moment, 'What are we doing? They're trying just as hard to destroy us as we're trying to destroy them. What's the point of all this? Risk thousands of our own just to wipe them out? Why when there's a better way.' Tara paused, 'What am I thinking? I'm a Chameleon, I have my orders.' She looked back over at Ed and sensed the pain. 'He could have found a way to destroy us but he didn't. There are many who believe co-existence can work. What if they're right? What if he's right and we didn't evolve naturally?' She shook her head trying to fight these thoughts but she couldn't, the feelings were too strong. The moans diverted her attention away from her thoughts again, she glanced over at Ed and closed her eyes, 'I'm sorry, father, but I can't do this, I need to learn more.'  
  
~*~  
  
Darien sat on his couch with a beer in his hand. He knew that Darcy was standing behind him, "I didn't mean to wake you."  
  
"I wasn't sleeping anyway," she sat down next to him. "I was thinking about the first time I met Ed," she paused, "It wasn't exactly a pleasant occasion."  
  
Darien looked at her, "That's when Lynch kidnapped you and Kelly, right?"  
  
"Yeah…you know, it was my fault that we ended up in that situation. I had said that we would only catch rides with families. If only I had and not pushed Kelly…she would still be alive."  
  
"I'm sure Kelly forgives you," Darien said as he put his arm around her.   
  
"Ed was so kind to us. When we ran out of the cave he was there and he held us. I felt so safe with him." Darien held her tight. "Did you and Hobbes find out anything on your search tonight?" Darcy asked.  
  
"No, nothing. No one seems to know where Arnaud is and if he's even still alive," he let out a sigh.  
  
"Darien, if we have a boy, can we name him Kevin Edward?"  
  
Darien kissed the top of her head, "Kevin Edward Fawkes…hmmm…has a certain kind of ring to it."  
  
"It's kind of weird though, two scientists, one was your brother and the other was your twin," Darcy said.  
  
Darien was silent for a moment, "Okay, but if it's a girl, please don't ask me to name her Edwina."  
  
Darcy giggled, "Don't worry I won't."  
  
Darien became serious, "Babe, if this bill passes and the Prez signs it, we're gonna run."  
  
Darcy sat up and looked at him, "Where will we go?"  
  
"I don't know that yet, but I'm working on it. I have to do this, I have to protect you and the baby or babies…" Darien paused and stood up, he ran his hand through his hair, "I can't believe this is happening all over again, I mean haven't we learned anything."  
  
Darcy stood up and wrapped her arms around him, she rested her head on his chest, "Looks like we're about to repeat history again."  
  
"Yeah, but instead of just of Europe it'll be world wide," he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I can't sit here and wait for them to come and take us away."  
  
"You think they'll do that?" Darcy asked as she looked up at him. She watched as Darien shook his head. She could sense the fear and uncertainty coming from him.  
  
"Yeah, I do, eventually."  
  
"I don't know what I'd do if they took me away from you," Darcy squeezed Darien like she didn't want to let him go, ever.  
  
"Me neither, babe, I'd go crazy."  
  
"Black eye crazy?"  
  
"Yeah, like I almost did today," he rested his chin on top of her head, "I would've too if you weren't there to slap me out of it."  
  
"Darien."  
  
"Yes, babe."  
  
"Make love to me," Darcy said as she looked up him. "I want to spend every moment I can with you."  
  
Darien held her head in his hands, "I do too, babe." He leaned down and kissed her passionately.   
  
~*~  
  
Claire woke up and reached over to the other side of the bed as she did every morning. But this time, there was no warm body. The spot was cold. She reached over and grabbed Ed's pillow and held it close. She stayed like that for awhile until she heard footsteps come into the room. She turned quickly, "Ed?" Her voice had a hint of hope and her eyes lit up, maybe this had all been a bad dream and Ed had gotten up early. But it was Sloan.  
  
Sloan looked sadly down at the floor, "Claire, I…do you need anything?"  
  
"No, what I want can't be given back," Claire rolled over and turned her back to Sloan.  
  
Sloan's stomach bottomed out at Claire's pain filled words. She understood what Claire was going through, "Claire, I loved him too."  
  
Claire turned over and glared at Sloan, "No, not the way I loved him. You loved him like a best friend. My love was deeper than that, much deeper. A part of my heart has been ripped away and I will never love anyone the same way again." Claire rolled back over.  
  
Sloan knew that Claire was right. The love they had for Ed was different. She didn't realize how much Claire loved Ed until now. "Claire, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. But you're right; I did love Ed like a best friend. But I know what you're going through. One time, I thought that Tom was murdered, and my whole world was crashing down…" Sloan was going finish but decided not to; she started to leave when she heard her name.  
  
"Sloan."  
  
Sloan turned and saw Claire sitting up on the bed with her arms stretched out. Her eyes watered and she went to Claire.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sloan. I'm not the only one hurting here." Claire sobbed.  
  
"It's okay, you're angry, that's to be expected." Sloan held Claire tight.  
  
"Thank you for staying with me," Claire said as she pulled away from Sloan looking for tissues.  
  
Sloan smiled, "If you want, Tom and I have breakfast ready on the porch. You're more than welcome to join us."  
  
"I'm not hungry," Claire said wiping her eyes, "Besides, I look absolutely horrible."  
  
Sloan brushed the hair from Claire's face, "We don't care, and I don't exactly look like a film star either. My eyes are puffy from crying all night, so we'll look alike."  
  
Claire slightly smiled, "I guess we both do look horrible, okay, I'll join you and Tom. It's the least I can do."  
  
"Good, go wash up a bit and I'll you meet downstairs." Sloan patted Claire on her leg and got up.  
  
"Sloan."  
  
Sloan turned and looked back down at Claire again, "Thank you, again for being here."  
  
"That's what friends do for each other in times like this." Sloan smiled and walked out of the room.  
  
Claire slowly rose from the bed. Pavlov was there waiting, he had been sleeping on Ed's side of the bed. Claire saw her purse sitting on her dresser and remembered what was inside. She hadn't told anyone yet; she had wanted to wait for Ed at work so they could both tell everyone their good news. But now it was just something she didn't want to announce, but she knew she would have to sooner or later. She reached for her purse and pulled out the tiny box. She thought back to their walk in Balboa Park and how Ed had found a beautiful spot for both of them to sit. She had turned her head away just for a second and the next thing she knew, Ed was kneeling in front of her with the box in his hand. Claire opened the box and stared at the ring inside. 'Will you marry me?' rang in her ears as she sat on the bed.   
  
Claire thought back to the following morning, she had left for work before he did. If only she had waited and went with him, but she needed to be there earlier than he did. He sat at the table with his magazine in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. They had kissed and he spoke his last words to her, 'See you later, babe. Drive safe. I love you.' They were supposed to go back to the jeweler so the ring could be sized that afternoon. Ed had told her that he had wanted to propose to her that night and not wait for the jeweler to fix the ring, besides the fact he really didn't know her ring size. He didn't want to waste anytime in telling her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. The joy she had felt was painfully torn away from her in less than twelve hours. Her sudden realization was that Ed had spent the rest of his life with her after all.   
  
She got up, went over to the glass doors and stepped out on the balcony. The sun was shinning brightly on another cloudless day in San Diego. Sea gulls flew over the water searching for food. She noticed some people were already in the water swimming. A man jogged along the shoreline like Ed had done so many times before.   
  
"Life does go on doesn't it?" Claire asked out loud. She looked over the ocean and towards the horizon, "If there's surfing in heaven you're probably doing that right now aren't you?" The thought made her chuckle a little and then she stopped, with tear filled eyes she looked over the horizon once more, "I love you, Ed Tate, I always will." She closed the box and went back inside.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed felt a hand on his face, gently rubbing his cheek. He heard a soft voice call his name.  
  
"Ed, wake up."  
  
A dream, this had all been one long bad dream. Just like on "Dallas" when Pam Ewing dreamed that Bobby Ewing had been killed, but she found him in the shower. Was life imitating art but in reverse? Would he wake up in his own bed and find Claire in the shower? He pried his heavy eyes opened. He hoped to see his room. He didn't. He groaned. It was a dream after all. He could hear the steady beeping of a machine close to him. The cuff around his arm inflated to read his blood pressure. His head swam in a pool of pain and fear. What had they done to him? His eyes squeezed shut at the sudden onslaught of bright lights flickering in his eyes again. He groaned again and tried to lift his arm to push the invading light away, but remembered that he was restrained.  
  
"Dr. Tate, I need to check to see how you're doing."  
  
"Leave me alone," his hoarse voice pleaded. Ed felt betrayed and alone. He remembered what they were doing to him. They had let him go into stage three again and then gave him the fixed counteragent. "Please, don't do this anymore," he was tired, very tired and he didn't know if he could last much longer.  
  
"Are you in pain?"  
  
"Can't you sense my pain?" Ed said harshly.  
  
"I'm sorry," Tara said as she looked at him through distraught eyes. He was a pawn in a deadly game being played out by both sides and she realized that maybe she was a pawn too. She was sent in to act as a traitor towards her own species. Her job was to find out any information she could about the Lady and then kill her. Little did she know that a human would send her mission spiraling out of control. She had important information to report to her father concerning a one Dr. Ed Tate, but did she want to? Something inside was happening to her. She started to have second thoughts about what she was doing, and what her species was doing. "Are you thirsty?"  
  
"Yes," Ed said with a shaky voice. "And I have to use the bathroom," Ed said awkwardly.  
  
Tara looked around, "I'll get a nurse, and she'll help you."  
  
"I was afraid of that," Ed watched as she got up to find a nurse. Ed wondered how much longer they were going to do this to him. In fact he didn't even know how long he had been there. It didn't matter anyway, to the people he loved, he was dead. 'At least, I got the chance to tell Claire how much she means to me…' Ed couldn't finish his thought as another sudden painful attack hit. His eyes squeezed shut. There was no darkness, just white flashes of pain. It hurt so bad that he could almost hear the pain popping in his ear, like when someone pops the plastic packaging with the tiny bubbles.  
  
When the pain subsided he saw that the scientists gathered around the machines and him. He spotted Tara with the nurse standing off to the side waiting for the others to finish. He closed his eyes slowly and pictured Claire in his mind.  
  
~*~  
  
Claire sat on the porch with Sloan and Tom and had showed them the ring. Sloan became even more heart broken for Claire. Claire heard them talking but their words were far off. She looked around at the scenery and all she could do was think of Ed. She got up and started to walk inside. She caught the glances from Tom and Sloan, they were both worried about her and it showed in their faces. "I'm going to call Irene, to see how she's doing and I guess I should tell her that Ed and I are…were…" Claire didn't finish her sentence; she couldn't say that she and Ed were engaged. It was too painful to admit it was in the past now and not the present. She paused and then went inside without saying another word.  
  
She felt bad that she hadn't spoken to his mom since the accident. They first met in the hospital after they had brought Ed back from Mexico. They had hit it off and became friends immediately. Ed's mom was glad that her son had finally found someone. Talking to her at this time would be helpful to her, to both of them and Claire would tell her the news.  
  
Sloan watched as Claire got another cup of coffee and sat down to talk on the phone. She looked over at Tom and grabbed his hand, "I love you, Tom."  
  
"I love you too, Sloan," he squeezed her hand.  
  
"I should have told Ed more often what he meant to me," she paused and looked at Claire, "We don't realize the time we waste until something like this happens."  
  
Tom shook his head, "Dominants don't show their feelings like humans do. But I understand what you mean. Ed was a good man and will be missed." Tom paused, "Sloan, we should have had a child."  
  
"Tom?" Sloan said his name quizzically, "Why? I mean, we talked about his already. We both agreed it would be too dangerous for us to have a child."  
  
"I think we were wrong about that, it might be what the world needs to see that co-existence can happen. I should have married you a long time ago. Let's do it, let's get married and have a family."  
  
"Tom, is spontaneity a dominant trait?"  
  
"No, not really, but I want to do this before…anything happens."  
  
Sloan hugged Tom, "I do too." Tom suddenly looked up, "Darien, Darcy and Hobbes are here."  
  
Sloan smiled and shook her head, "I'll go let them in." She went inside and passed by Claire who apparently was talking to Ed's mother. She opened the door just as Hobbes was about to knock.  
  
"Whoa, how did you know we were here?" Hobbes asked.  
  
Sloan smiled, "Tom told me."  
  
Hobbes shot Darien and Darcy a quick glance of annoyance, "You know, this psychic thing you people have is making me crazy."  
  
"Too late for that, Hobbes," Darien said as he walked passed him. He gave Sloan a hug. Darcy came in next followed by Hobbes as he shook his head.  
  
"How was she last night, you know, after we left?" Darien asked.  
  
"She had a bad dream and it was about Ed. She kept calling his name." Sloan said.  
  
Darien watched her talk on the phone. He could sense the sorrow in her; it was strong at the moment. "Who's she talking with?"  
  
"Irene," Sloan patted Darien on the back, "You want anything? Tom and I made breakfast and there are plenty of pancakes left. Oh how did it go last night? Did you find Arnaud?"  
  
"No, we didn't find the weasel and no one seems to know where he's at or if he's still breathin'," Hobbes answered as he made his way to the kitchen.  
  
Darien walked over to Claire and kissed the top of her head. He jerked away suddenly and stared at her in shock. Tom stood in the door way and he nodded slightly when Darien stared at him. He understood immediately what Darien saw. Darien gazed back down on Claire. She smiled when she looked up at him. Darien motioned that he was going to be outside. She shook her head and continued to talk to Ed's mother.  
  
Darien grabbed Tom's arm and led him outside, "Tom, is Claire holding what I think she's holding?"  
  
"Yes, she finally told us that Ed had proposed to her the night before."  
  
Darien looked back at Claire who was still talking on the phone. He let out a sigh.   
  
~*~  
  
Later on in the day, Darien, Darcy, Tom, Hobbes and Ray, watched the afternoon news. Sloan had given Claire a sedative to help her sleep. When she came back downstairs, she rejoined the others in the living room. The station cut to a news report out of Washington. A crowd of people stood around a podium and waited for Senator Allen to speak. The reporter went on with her report.  
  
"Earlier today the bill requiring all dominants to come forward was debated heavily on the floor of the Senate this morning." The report cuts to the Senate floor where various Senators are shown making statements about the bill. There are mixed opinions from the Senators.  
  
Darien put his arm around Darcy and held her tight as they listen to the various opinions. Everyone in the room was silent. Sloan looked at Tom in fear; he raised a brow as he watched intently.  
  
The next Senator the report showed was Senator Allen. He stood defiantly at the podium as he addressed his fellow Congressmen. "Yesterday in California, a young scientist who was instrumental in discovering and stopping some of the plans to annihilate us humans was killed by the dominants."  
  
"What?" Sloan asked shocked.  
  
"We don't know that," Hobbes said.  
  
He continued, "Dr. Ed Tate, a geneticist from Whitney University was killed because he was doing what he could to prevent our own extinction at the hands of these so-called evolved homo-dominants. He discovered and came up with a way to stop the dominants from destroying the immune system of our children!" There were rumblings from the Senators. "Yes, that's right, the dominants have no problem attacking our children and killing them. In fact, because of him and other brave scientists, they discovered that if a dominant and a human produce a child, the child will be a dominant. They can rape and impregnate human women and they will have dominant babies!"  
  
"I can't believe this guy is trying to use Ed as a martyr," Ray said.  
  
"Propaganda, my friend," Hobbes retorted.  
  
The report then showed the Senator as he held up papers. "The dominants have also successfully altered the DNA of two humans and turned them into dominants. We have documented proof, but these are only two that we know of. There could very well be more cases. There are many more things that the dominants have done and this scientist was able to stop them. You see, this is why we must know who they are. They're killers, like Randall Lynch, with no regard for human life. They can't be trusted, they have no remorse and no compassion. In fact, we've learned that they are incapable of compassion and pity. These are the very virtues that help us to be civilized. We can't let Dr. Tate's sacrifice be in vain!"  
  
"Civilize my ass," Hobbes retorted.  
  
The station then showed the reporter as she stood in front of the podium. "We've just learned that the voting is finished and Senator Allen is going to give us the results personally. I can see him coming towards us and he appears to be smiling. This may be a sign of how voting went earlier today in the Senate."  
  
Darcy looked up at Darien, "Darien?"  
  
Darien held her tight; he ran his hand across her cheek, "I love you."  
  
"I love you too." Darcy gazed at the TV.  
  
Senator Allen stood at the podium smiling at all the reporters gathered around him. There were secret service agents all over the place. He placed his hand on both sides of the podium and began to speak, "Today is another historic chapter in the history of this fine nation. Today, my bill to force the new species to register has passed in the Senate." Cameras clicked at a frantic pace as the Senator made his announcement.  
  
Darcy closed her eyes. Sloan looked at Tom teary eyed. Hobbes rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips, "Those morons."  
  
The Senator continued his press conference. "This bill however must now go on to the House where it's expected to pass as well. We should not have to be forced to live our lives in fear of these dominants. They are the new terrorist in our world and they must be dealt with. I'm proud of my fellow Senators today. We have spoken up for our right to live in this world. Knowing now that we will have records on the identities and where these dominants are, this bill will help us to live without fear for ourselves and our children. Dr. Ed Tate's sacrifice and his brave actions in his own fight for our survival will not be in vain. Thank you and God Bless America!" He stepped away from the podium as the reporters bombarded him with questions.  
  
"What do we do now?" Sloan asked as she turned off the TV.  
  
"Well, the bill still has to go through the House. If it passes then it goes to the President and he decides whether to veto it or sign it into law," Darcy said.  
  
"We can't wait for all that. You heard this man, he's using Ed's death as a battle cry." Sloan said.  
  
"Yeah, the 21st Century version of 'Remember the Alamo'," Hobbes retorted.  
  
"You know something, this is all starting to make sense now," Ray said. Everyone looked at him strangely. "I don't think Arnaud killed Ed, we were meant to believe he did. But he didn't do it."  
  
Darien paused and thought about what Ray said, "Remember what we talked about the other day? What if Ed wasn't supposed to have the gland implanted but only get close to it? Arnaud must have been collaborating with someone and he pulled his usual doublecross…wait, Lewis said that the gland could be cloned…what would they need to clone the gland?"  
  
Sloan thought for a moment, "Hmm…maybe just a tissue sample of the bio part, the synthetic part would be another story. We already know it can be duplicated. It's just a matter of growing the bio part of the gland that would have to be worked out. You think that Lewis had something to do with Ed's death?"  
  
Darien shook his head, "No, Lewis wanted Ed alive and I doubt that he knew about Ed."   
  
"Okay, so what we got here is someone set up Ed, but Arnaud changes the deal. Ed is killed for the gland and we're supposed to think it was Arnaud so we go out and kill him if he isn't dead already," Hobbes said.  
  
"Tie up any loose ends," Darien said.   
  
"More like silence loose tongues," Ray said.  
  
Darien pointed to Ray, "Yeah, that too, my friend."  
  
"And now Ed's death is being used to promote this Senator's bill," Darcy said. "Someone got a two for one deal or this was all planned from the very beginning."  
  
"This is only going to worse," Tom said ominously, "Dominants won't tolerate being rounded up like cattle and forced to register. They will fight instead and in all cases, to the death if need be."  
  
They all looked at each other. "Darcy, when does the bill go to the House?" Darien asked.  
  
She shook her head, "A week, if that, they may vote on it sooner because of all the pressure. I can call Mark and find out, if he's still in Washington. Why?"  
  
"I just need to know how much time we have left. If you reach Mark, find out how long it may take for the President to sign it too," Darien said as he grabbed his jacket.  
  
Darcy walked up to him, "Where are you going?"  
  
Darien looked around the room, "I'm gonna find out who killed Ed. If we can prove it wasn't dominants…" Darien paused and then sat down, he looked at the faces staring at him, "…it won't help much would it?"  
  
Darcy sat down next to him, "Darien, I know that you're trying, but we have to be realistic here."  
  
"Look, anything you need me to do, I'll do it, I won't bail on you and let those mooks take you without a fight," Hobbes said. He put his hand out and Darien looked at him.  
  
"Thanks man," Darien gave Hobbes a low five.  
  
"But, we're still on an investigation, right? We're still gonna find out who killed Ed, we owe him that much," Hobbes said.  
  
"Right," Darien stood up, "Let's get back to work."  
  
Sloan and Darcy watched as the men left. They looked at each other; both were frightened of what the future may hold for them and the world.  
  
TBC… 


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18  
  
Asante Rhodes stood in the observation room as he watched Ed. He had been there for nearly two days now and what he saw was not pleasing. He heard the door open and he turned around quickly, "Dr. Marsh, I came as soon as I could." There was a moment of silence, and then he continued, "How is he? I mean, what do you sense from him?"  
  
She approached the window and stood next to Asante, "I don't think he's going to last much longer."  
  
"I was afraid of that, I didn't think this would happen. I was assured that Dr. Tate would not be harmed. I should have realized who I was dealing with," Asante said.  
  
She nodded in agreement, and then she looked at him with uncertainty on her face, "He's very tired. They haven't given him time to rest or eat. They're letting him go into stage five soon to run more tests…he's slipping slowly, losing all mental control," she said as she looked at Asante and spoke to him in a serious tone, "If I didn't know better, I'd say they were trying to brainwash him."  
  
Asante let out a deep long sigh, "He's been lying there for almost three days and going back and forth into quicksilver madness while they run tests, it wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish that. They've ignored him and he probably feels abandoned." He looked at her again, "If he goes into stage five and they brainwash him, with the proper training he could be used as a weapon and a very deadly one."  
  
Tara noted the serious in the words that Asante spoke. She had read about the different stages and what Ed had done during stage three when he returned to the Agency. If Ed had no second thoughts about killing Tom, what was he capable of in stage five? "Are you going to do what we discussed, because if not, then I will do it myself."  
  
He turned to look at her and shook his head, "Yeah, I'm in." They both turned and looked at Ed. The hours of being forced in and out of quicksilver madness was taking its toll on the young scientist and it showed.  
  
"I've delayed in my efforts to clone the gland, but I don't know how much longer I can. They know that the organization Chrysalis was able to clone the gland they removed from Arnaud de Fohn. It's only a matter of time before they get suspicious of me," Tara said.  
  
Asante looked at her with concern, "You be careful…I'll do my part. They're at the funeral today. I'll send them the message tonight." He watched as Tara nodded and then left, he turned his gaze back to Ed. He remembered his confrontation with Dr. Alvarez and Andrea Welsh, a.k.a. the Lady. He had told her that he didn't approve of the treatment Ed was getting and she just shrugged him off saying that it was necessary. Dr. Alvarez had argued if they were going to duplicate the gland they would need all the information they could gather.   
  
Asante didn't believe this, if he had known what their real intentions were, he would never had gone along with it. Now he regretted it and there was only thing he could do to fix that, get Dr. Tate out alive.  
  
~*~  
  
It was a bright sunny morning in Laguna Beach as the group gathered in a room at the crematory. A small ceremony for just close friends and family had been planned for the cremation. The actual internment of the ashes at the cemetery would take place later on in the day and the actual funeral would be at the Church. A large crowd was expected and that was only because of the media hype and Senator Allen who was expected to attend, much to the dismay of Irene and the others.   
  
The priest from St. Mary's Episcopal Church was there to officiate the short service. He came in and greeted the rather large group of family and friends gathered in the room. Ed may have been the only child for Jonathan and Irene, but he had plenty of aunts, uncles and cousins.   
  
The priest opened up the prayer book and began the service, "Dear Friends: It was our Lord Jesus himself who said, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Let us pray, then, for our brother Edward, that he may rest from his labors, and enter into the light of God's eternal Sabbath rest. Receive, O Lord, your servant, for he returns to you.   
  
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother Edward. Wash him in the holy font of everlasting life, and clothe him in his heavenly wedding garment.  
  
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother Edward. May he hear your words of invitation, "Come, you blessed of my Father.'  
  
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother Edward. May he gaze upon you, Lord, face to face, and taste the blessedness of perfect rest.  
  
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother Edward. May angels surround him, and saints welcome him in peace.  
  
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother Edward.   
  
Almighty God, our Father in heaven, before whom live all who die in the Lord: Receive our brother Edward into the courts of your heavenly dwelling place. Let his heart and soul now ring out in joy to you, O Lord, the living God, and the God of those who live. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen." The priest turned towards the double doors and nodded. The two men opened the doors and stood off to the side. Darien, Tom, Hobbes, Jonathan and two uncles carried the casket in as soft music played. They placed the casket on the stand in front of the cremation chamber and stood with the group on either side.  
  
Darien, Darcy, Hobbes and Claire stood on one side with Irene and her parents; next to them was, Jonathan Tate, Ed's Grandmother Erika Tate and other members of the Tate family. Across from them was Sloan, Tom, Walter, Ray and his family, the Official, Eberts and members of the Morgan family. Claire leaned on Darien and started crying. Darien wrapped his arm around her and held her tight. Irene nearly fell to her knees but Jonathan was there to hold her up. Matt started crying and wrapped his arms around Ray. Sloan cried and Tom held her for support.   
  
Ed lay on the table and was barely able to keep his eyes opened as another wave of pain swept through his head. A voice in his head spoke to him, "They think you're dead, and they're having a funeral for you right now. They won't be looking for you."  
  
Ed shook his head in defiance, but the voice was relentless. "They won't be looking for you. This happened to you because of the dominants, if they hadn't come along you would still be living and not dead. It's because of them you're here."   
  
Ed closed his eyes and a tear escaped leaving a wet trail down the side of his face.   
  
The priest continued with the reception of the body with these prayers. "With faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the body of our brother Edward for cremation and later for burial. Let us pray with confidence to God, the Giver of life, that he will raise him to perfection in the company of the saints.   
  
There was a brief moment of silence. Then the priest continued.  
  
"Deliver your servant, Edward, O Sovereign Lord Christ, from all evil, and set him free from every bond; that he may rest with all your saints in the eternal habitations; where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.   
  
Let us also pray for all who mourn, that they may cast their care on God, and know the consolation of his love. Almighty God, look with pity upon the sorrows of your servants for whom we pray. Remember them, Lord, in your mercy; nourish them with patience; comfort them with a sense of your goodness; lift up your countenance upon them; and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."   
  
The priest continued, "O God of grace and glory, we remember before you this day our brother Edward. We thank you for giving him to us, his family and friends, to know and to love as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn. Give us faith to see in death the gate of eternal life, so that in quiet confidence we may continue our course on earth, until, by your call, we are reunited with those who have gone before; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." The priest then proceeded to read from Scripture. He gave a short homily and proceeded to say a blessing over the casket.   
  
Ed eyed the man with disdain. The thought of ripping his head off was very pleasant at the moment. He lifted his head and breathed heavily through his nostrils like a bull ready to charge. If only he could break free then he could fulfill his dream.  
  
Dr. Alvarez gazed down at Ed and his blood colored eyes that glared forebodingly back at him, "I see that you're ready for more counteragent. Maybe I'll even piggy back a sedative so that the nurse can clean you up a bit without you giving her any trouble."  
  
Ed struggled in the restraints and slung muffled curses at Dr. Alvarez.  
  
There was a cross on top of the casket and that was handed to Irene by the priest who then hugged her as he gave her his condolences. She shook her head at his words and held the cross to her chest tightly. He then continued with the committal part of the service. This will also be said at the gravesite but in the case of a cremation, it can be said here as well.  
  
"In the midst of life we are in death;  
of whom may we seek for succor,  
but of thee, O Lord,  
who for our sins art justly displeased?   
Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty,  
O holy and most merciful Savior,  
deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.   
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts;  
shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer;  
but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty,  
O holy and merciful Savior,  
thou most worthy Judge eternal.  
Suffer us not, at our last hour,  
through any pains of death, to fall from thee.   
  
In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother Edward.; and we commit his body to its resting place; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him , the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him , the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give him peace. Amen.   
  
The Lord be with you,"  
  
Everyone gathered responded, "And with thy spirit."  
  
"Let us pray  
  
Our Father, who art in heaven,   
      hallowed be thy Name,   
      thy kingdom come,   
     thy will be done,   
           on earth as it is in heaven.   
Give us this day our daily bread.   
  
And forgive us our trespasses,   
      as we forgive those who trespass against us.   
And lead us not into temptation,   
      but deliver us from evil.   
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,   
      for ever and ever. Amen.   
  
O Almighty God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, who by a voice from heaven didst proclaim, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord: Multiply, we beseech thee, to those who rest in Jesus the manifold blessings of thy love, that the good work which thou didst begin in them may be made perfect unto the day of Jesus Christ. And of thy mercy, O heavenly Father, grant that we, who now serve thee on earth, may at last, together with them, be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."  
  
There was a silent pause before the priest continued. Sobs could be heard echoing through the room. The private intimate service was over and the priest dismissed the small group with these final words.  
  
"The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant: Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."   
  
The dreaded needle, as many times before, plunged into Ed's vein again. He felt the rush of heat as the counteragent was pushed through the vein and rushed to his head. He swam in a whirlpool of confusion and fought to keep his eyes open. A voice echoed in his head again, 'You're alone and it's because of the dominants.' He was barely able to shake his head in disbelief at the voice, 'It's not true,' he managed to reply in his mind before his world went dark.  
  
"Rest eternal grant to him , O Lord:  
And let light perpetual shine upon him.   
May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."   
  
Darien walked up to the casket and laid his hand on top of it, "Rest, bro." Claire was next and she kissed the top where Ed's head was underneath, her lipstick left a mark on the light colored wood. She whispered as if not to wake him, "I love you…" she had wanted to say more but couldn't. Hobbes came up to her and touched her gently on her back. She looked up and broke down in his arms, "I can't…I can't…" she sobbed as Hobbes walked her away.   
  
Irene clutched the cross in one hand as she rubbed the other hand over the casket repeatedly while she cried. Her tears fell on the casket as she repeated, "My baby…my baby…my baby…"  
  
Once everyone had the chance to say their private goodbyes, the casket was slowly placed inside the cremation chamber as 'Amazing Grace' played in the background and then the door closed.  
  
Hobbes stayed with Claire as they walked out of the room, but she kept turning back to look. She didn't know if she could make it through the afternoon service when Ed is finally laid to rest. At least they had a break now and they were headed back to Irene's house for a family gathering.  
  
Irene kept mumbling about her son as she walked with Walter. Jonathan helped his mother, Erika. Ed was her first grandchild and she remembered when she held him in her arms shortly after he was born. She had commented on how happy and content he was, and now she would give anything to have that moment back.  
  
~*~  
  
On the drive back to Irene's, Tom thought back to four years earlier in the Lassen Forest.  
  
Tom half carried Ed in search of water, he could sense that Ed was getting weaker, "How you doing, Ed?"  
  
"Oh just peachy," Ed said through gasps. "Tom."  
  
"Yes, Ed."  
  
"I'm going to pass out now."  
  
"Ed, stay awake for me." Tom stopped to put Ed down and gave him some rest. Tom grabbed him by the collar of this shirt, "You have to stay awake. Do you hear me? Lewis is following us."  
  
Ed groggily sat up using his arms for support, "Tom, I…I…can't. Just leave me."  
  
"No, Ed, I can't do that."  
  
"Damn it, Tom, you're as stubborn as a mule," Ed yelled out with all the strength he could muster.  
  
"So are you," Tom stood straight up and stared down at the disheveled scientist.   
  
Ed looked up at Tom with a serious expression and then started to laugh. He lifted up his hand and pointed a finger at Tom, "You know, you're right, but now is not the time for this. Why should you get caught by Lewis too?"  
  
"Because like I told you earlier, I made a promise to Sloan to protect you," Tom said as he bent down to look Ed straight in his face.  
  
Ed turned away; he couldn't look in Tom's face. He remembered Sloan asking him to do the same for Tom and he had failed. "Tom…"  
  
Tom cut Ed off, "It wasn't your fault. You had no way of knowing what was going to happen. But this time, I do. I know that Lewis is looking for us. I won't leave you."  
  
Ed looked at Tom. Could he believe him? Was Tom sincere? He didn't have the instincts to know for sure, but Tom has gotten him this far. He could have left Ed at the wreckage, but he didn't. Ed had no choice but to trust him, his life was in his hands and frankly, Ed didn't want to end up in Lewis' hands.  
  
"Okay, look, we need to find an area with dense vegetation. A lot of plants mean water. Also, we can look for ants or bees going into a tree, there's a sure bet that there's water in there or around the area." Ed looked around, "It's late though and we need to rest. We can wait until morning and gather up the dew that forms on the leaves. The important thing now is that we keep warm until then. Temperatures in forests can drop drastically during the night." Ed closed his eyes.  
  
"Don't you fall asleep; you know you have to stay awake." Tom had to help him somehow.   
  
Ed shook his head, "Yes, I know, when we sleep our core body temperature drops." Ed looked around, "Uhmm…we can cover ourselves up in these leaves and then huddle close together. The leaves and our own body warmth should do the trick and we can get some sleep without worrying about hypothermia."  
  
Tom immediately started to cover Ed up in leaves. When he was finished, he sat down next to Ed and covered himself up as well. He held Ed close to him.  
  
"Uh, Tom…what are you doing?"  
  
"Keeping you warm. You said if we huddle close our body heat will help keep each other warm."  
  
"I did say that didn't I?" Ed paused and then continued giving Tom a stern warning, "Okay, but if you fall asleep and start dreaming intimately about Sloan…one thing here okay, I'm not Sloan. If you kiss me or try anything else, I'm gonna knock your lights out."  
  
Tom chuckled and smiled, "Don't worry, Ed. I won't kiss you or try anything else."  
  
"Good, cause I don't ride that wave, you get my meaning?"  
  
"Yes, I do." Tom smiled.  
  
"Okay, good, glad we cleared that up," Ed leaned his head back and closed his eyes. In just a few short minutes, he was fast asleep. Tom never slept; he stayed awake to keep guard. He was determined to get him and Ed out of this situation unharmed.  
  
"Tom, we're here," Sloan said as she patted him on his arm.  
  
Tom gazed at her and shook his head. He followed everyone inside the house. No one spoke as they settled in and waited for the afternoon to come.  
  
Walter turned on the TV in another part of house to keep up to date on the news. He sighed and shook his head when the major news stations had satellite feeds from Laguna Beach. The reports now stated that the private ceremony concluded and that crowds had already started to gather across from the church and elsewhere around the town. Some were protests against the bill and others were in support of it. Both sides were kept far away from each other to avoid any trouble. It was reported that a larger gathering for both sides was scheduled after the funeral in separate locations. It's expected that the rally in support of the bill will be much larger than then the one against it. This reminded Walter of the protests for the war in Iraq.   
  
Darien joined Walter in front of the TV, "They're really using this to their advantage aren't they?"  
  
"I'm afraid that after today's service, it'll only get worse with emotions running high. What does Irene think of this?"  
  
"She hates it. She blames all this media attention on Senator Allen. She doesn't believe that this is what Ed would want, but Jonathan," Darien let out a sigh, "He wants revenge, and he's for the bill."  
  
"Does he know about you, Darcy and Tom?"  
  
"No."  
  
"We should keep it that way," Walter said as he turned his attention back to the TV.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed's parents, grandparents and Claire rode in the limo in front of the others. Tom, Sloan, Darien, Darcy and Hobbes rode in Claire's SUV. As they drove up to the Church they spotted a large crowd gathered across the street. "All of Laguna Beach must be here and then some," noted Hobbes.  
  
They drove past and the people waved and threw flowers and some pointed. "Here we go," Sloan sighed.  
  
"I can't believe that Ed's death is being used like this," Darien said in anger.  
  
"Ed would not want this," Sloan said as she looked around. Some where holding signs promoting peace and some were even dressed like hippies flashing the peace sign to passing cars. But there were also signs that supported the bill.  
  
"It's the sixties all over again," Darcy retorted.  
  
"Looks like Senator Allen is getting the media attention he wanted for his bill," Tom said sullenly.   
  
"That bastard," Darcy looked around, "Sorry, that was disrespectful at a time like this." Darien patted her on her leg and smiled at her.  
  
"It's okay kiddo, I think you were just expressing how we all feel," Hobbes said as he carefully studied the crowd. The camera crews were also kept at a safe distance and were not allowed on the church grounds so that the family can have some sort of privacy while trying to go inside the church.  
  
"Any dominants in the group?" Sloan asked.  
  
"Yeah, and they know we're here too," Darien replied as he drove into the parking lot. He parked the car and everyone stepped out. There were sounds of boos from the group gathered across the street and they turned their attention towards the street.  
  
Darien watched as a large black limo pulled up to the church with a police escort. People stopped or turned around to see who it was. Darien, Tom and Darcy stared at each other. "So, he did so up after all. Too bad," Darcy said with hatred in her voice.  
  
"Probably wants to gain votes and support for his bill," Darien said as they watched Senator Allen step from the limo.   
  
Even Irene rolled her eyes. She walked up to Darien and the others, "I prayed that he would not show up, but I will not let him turn my son's funeral into a media circus." She immediately walked up to him.  
  
"Some how I get the feeling that Ed didn't inherit his quick temper from his father," Tom said with some amusement in his voice.  
  
"This I gotta see," Hobbes said.  
  
Some of the secret agents stopped Hobbes, but he pulled out his badge, "Back off gentlemen."  
  
They let Hobbes and the others through so they could hear Irene confront Senator Allen. Irene was all smiles when she greeted him, "Senator Allen, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said as she walked up to him and they shook hands. She leaned in to give him a hug, but whispered in his ear, "Now, go away, please," she pulled away and glared at him, she looked at the TV crews across the street and then back to him, "You've turned my son's death into a political war cry in support of your disgusting bill. I did not ask you to come nor do I want you here." She glared at him fiercely, "How dare you use my son's death for your own political agenda," she turned and walked away.  
  
Claire walked up to the Senator, "Senator, I'm Claire Keeply, Ed's fiancé, let me just tell you this. He believed that peace could be achieved, that's what he strived for. You and your supporters are using his death to propagate a lie. You are no better than those dominants who want war." Claire turned and walked away as well.  
  
Walter stood by with his hands in the pockets of his coat. Senator Allen walked up to him, "Dr. Attwood, would you please…"  
  
"Sorry, Senator Allen, but I can't control a grieving mother or Dr. Tate's fiancé. They have every right to be upset. If I were you, I would keep a low profile during the service." Walter turned and walked away.  
  
Next in line was Darien. Hobbes looked at his partner and wondered what he would do. Senator walked up to Darien and they glared at each other, "I know what you are, Agent Fawkes."  
  
"Good, cause I know what you are too. 'Today the real test of power is not the capacity to make war but the capacity to prevent it.'" Darien walked away followed by Darcy.  
  
Senator Allen walked up to Sloan, "I've always wanted to meet you Dr. Parker," he held his hand out.  
  
Sloan glared at him, "Senator, please excuse me, but what you're doing is wrong. This isn't the way and using Ed like this is uncalled for." She walked away with Tom.   
  
Even Mark was there with Shane by his side. Mark walked up to Senator Allen, "You know, Senator, for a human, Ed sure had a lot of friends that are dominants. That should tell you something about the man and his beliefs. You're tainting his good name and using it to start a war that no one will win."  
  
Hobbes was next, "Tell me Senator, what's next The Nuremberg Race Laws?" Hobbes walked away and Darien met up with him as they walked inside the church.  
  
Even the priest greeted Senator Allen in the parking lot. "Senator, I must tell you, that your presence here is troublesome. This is a house of worship and not a political platform. I can't keep anyone from entering this house of God, but I pray that you do understand that this is a solemn occasion for Dr. Tate's family and his friends. I hope that you will show the reverence that is due at this time and refrain from turning this funeral into anything other than that. After all, Senator, separation of Church and State works both ways."  
  
"Pastor, you have my word that I am here to show support to Dr. Tate's grieving family and his fiancé."  
  
"Hmm…as a minister of God, I must refrain from casting judgments, but in this case, I would have to wonder about your true intentions here today. Now if you excuse me, I need to prepare myself," he turned and walked away.  
  
Senator Allen's secretary came up to him, "You don't seem like a popular person here today. Even the Episcopalian priest questions your motives."  
  
~*~  
  
When Ed woke up, he found himself in a room lying on a mattress that was covered by a sheet. Ed groaned as his head throbbed, he tried to sit up and was hit with nausea. He lay back down and his whole body broke out in a sweat. Ed lifted his wrist to check his tattoo, but his wrists were bandaged and they hurt, including his ankles. He pulled the dressing down to take a peek at his tattoo and nearly gasped at what he saw. The days of being strapped down and struggling had caused injuries similar to leather burns or rope burns on his wrist. He was sure that the same had happened to his ankles as well. He was able to get a good look at his tattoo and from what he could tell, he was half full, "Great," he mumbled softly.  
  
He tried again to sit up, he managed to half way up and that was as far as he could go. He decided that he would just stay like that for awhile until he could move again. He wasn't going anywhere anyway. As he gazed around the room he noticed that the only piece of furniture was the mattress he was on. Nothing else, no sink, no toilet, nothing. The mattress wasn't even on a cot. The walls were concrete and the door was metal with no handle or knob on the inside. There was a large mirror centered in one of the walls and he knew what that was for. He studied the ceiling and saw a camera with a little blinking red light on it, 'Smile, Tate, you're on candid camera,' he smirked to himself.  
  
Ed leaned his head up against the wall and drew his knees up close to his chest as he wrapped his arms around his legs. The voice that he heard earlier haunted his thoughts. 'They're not looking for you, they think you're dead, you're dead and buried, they won't come for you,' Ed shook that voice away in his mind and spoke softly to himself, "No, I won't believe you."  
  
The sound of the mechanical lock shook Ed from his thoughts. He gazed towards the door and watched it open. A young woman stepped inside carrying a tray of food. "My last meal I assume," Ed said mordantly.   
  
"No, Dr. Tate," Ed recognized the woman and he drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "They have you delivering meals now?"  
  
"I wanted to talk, that's all," Tara kneeled down and set the tray down on the mattress.  
  
"Well, I'd offer you a chair to sit on but 'Ethan Allen' hasn't delivered them yet. Yeah, I ordered this really nice dinning room set, living room and a bedroom set but all they sent me was this mattress. I mean, what kind of service is that?"  
  
"Ed…"  
  
"Ed what!?! Stop being sarcastic? You tell me how I'm supposed to react to being torn away from the woman I love, my family and my friends!" Ed glared at her, "You don't have any idea what I'm going through!"  
  
"You're right, I don't know what you're going through. But I can sense the pain you're in."  
  
Ed shook his head, "Damn you and everyone else here! You torture me and now you want to talk…how about you give me counteragent and not that fake stuff and…and not strap me down to a cold metal table. How about you let me talk to my fiancé, and then we will talk!" Ed said in a demanding tone as he pointed to her and then back to himself.  
  
Tara looked at him in shock. Ed noted the expression on her face, "I'm sure even you know what fiancé means."  
  
"I had no idea," Tara looked down at the floor.  
  
"Don't you realize how you've ruined my life…MY LIFE!!" Ed hollered. He paused and looked around, he turned his gaze back to her, "So what happens to me now?"  
  
Tara turned around to face him again, "I can't answer that."  
  
"Just f…great," Ed ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "Okay, is there anything you can tell me?"  
  
"I can't tell you anything that concerns you," Tara said.  
  
"Okay, well, then, I uhhm…guess you can leave and take this prison garbage with you," Ed pushed the tray towards her and then he turned his head away from her.  
  
"You have to eat," she refused to take it and looked at Ed sternly.  
  
"Why? Who cares if I starve to death, I'm already dead remember?"  
  
"You haven't eaten in days. You need your strength," Tara pleaded with him.  
  
Ed turned to face her again, "Need my strength for what? More tests? So I don't die on them before they can fix the mutation in the gland?" Ed paused to see what her reaction would be and then continued, "Let me tell you something, I'm not leaving here alive, I know that. Once the mutation is fixed, it's harvest time, you're looking at dead man walking here, Dr. Marsh, so don't feed me any lies. I'm gonna end up in some unmarked grave or my ashes scattered somewhere while some stranger lies in a grave marked for me." Ed's eyes welled up, "Just go…please."  
  
Tara got up and headed for the door, she took one last look at him, "I left your dinner just in case you change your mind."   
  
"They want me to go stage five don't they?" Ed said with a hint of trepidation in his voice.   
  
She looked at him and then at the window and camera, "I'm sorry, Dr. Tate, I know it's hard for you to believe, but it's the truth." The door opened and she walked out.  
  
Ed turned and stared at the tray for a minute. He picked it up, studied the contents and promptly tossed it at the window as he told whoever was on the other side what he thought about them using extremely colorful metaphors. The tray made a loud crash against the unbreakable glass and the food made a messy trail down the mirror to the floor.  
  
A few moments later, the door unlocked and a rather large soldier came in with a lady carrying cleaning supplies. The soldier walked up to Ed, "You get to clean that up."  
  
"Go to hell, GI Joe," Ed responded harshly as he leaned up against the wall.   
  
The soldier smiled and used a cattle prod on Ed. Ed gripped his chest and lay on the mattress in pain. The soldier leaned over Ed and told him again, "Get up and clean up that mess or this will go where you don't want it to."  
  
Ed watched him as he hit his hand with the cattle prod. 'Tate, don't get yourself in anymore trouble, just do it,' he thought to himself as he struggled to stand up. Ed didn't move fast enough and was rewarded with a shock to his back.   
  
"Move faster!" The soldier barked out his order.  
  
He glared at the soldier menacingly as he struggled to stand up. He reluctantly took the mop and other cleaning supplies and began to clean up mess.   
  
"Do a good job and another meal will be brought to you, do a bad job and it's shock treatment time." The soldier stood indolently as he watched Ed clean.  
  
Unconsciously, Ed was putting all the faces of the people who have mistreated him to memory and on top of his list, the Lady, followed by Dr. Alvarez and then GI Joe.   
  
TBC… 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19  
  
Tom laid in the darkness of the hotel room, grateful to be in bed after such a long day. To any other dominant, the funeral would have seemed unnecessary. Why go through all that for someone who's dead? But to him, he understood. It's more than that, it's about closure, it's about the love humans have for one another and the value of family and friendship.  
  
Sloan came out of the bathroom and got in bed. She pulled the covers over her and cuddled next to Tom. It was hard for her to believe that Ed was gone, that she won't see his smile or hear his voice. Claire was right though, it would be hard to look at Darien for awhile.   
  
Irene had nearly broken down several times when Darien had asked her if she needed anything. Towards the end of the day, Irene had adopted Darien as her son, not to replace Ed, but so that they both could have someone. Darien gained a mother and Irene gained another son.  
  
Sloan felt Tom take in a deep breath and then let it out slowly as he sighed. "What you thinking about?"  
  
"About Ed," Tom answered.  
  
"I miss him, Tom," Sloan's voice cracked.   
  
Tom held Sloan closer to him, "I do too."  
  
She remembered how he had mentioned after returning to the Agency that he wanted to go out and surf Cortes Bank off the coast of San Diego. He was so excited about the prospect of surfing those huge waves. It saddened her that now he wouldn't be doing that. She also remembered how many times he had apologized to both her and Tom for his actions while under the influence of quicksilver madness. She smiled as she thought back to the friendship they finally were able to share and for that she was pleased, "I'm so glad that you two were finally able to work through the trust," Sloan said.  
  
"It was mainly Ed who needed to work that out. We weren't exactly forth coming with him from the beginning. I couldn't really blame him," Tom said as his thoughts drifted back to that night they were in the forest. "Since Ed's death, I keep remembering about that night of the plane crash."  
  
"Tell me the story, Tom," Sloan said.  
  
"You've heard it before," Tom said wondering why Sloan would want to hear it again.  
  
"I know, but it helps keep Ed alive in our memories, besides, I need a good bedtime story," Sloan moved a bit to get comfortable.  
  
"Okay, well, I had remembered up to the part where Ed slept to regain his strength and I kept watch. I had tried to mask us both, I wasn't sure if it would work or not, I've never really tried to mask myself and someone else at the same time. Morning came and Ed woke up 'cranky as a mongoose' was how he put it." Tom smiled at the memory. The look on Ed's face as his eyes opened was like someone eating sour grapes or biting into a lemon and the way his hair was all messed up. He saw a whole new side of Ed that morning.  
  
Sloan smiled, "Well, can you blame him?"  
  
Tom smiled as well, "No, not really. We were able to find some water and were able to get on the move again. We were hungry, but couldn't risk cooking any food. I knew that Lewis was still on our trail and I didn't want to risk him seeing the smoke from our fire. So we pressed on. The water that we found was a stream and we followed it hopeful that it would cover our tracks. Ed looked across the stream and saw a small cliff. I remember the grin he got on his face. He turned and asked me if I could climb and I told him no, I've never done that. He frowned and thought for a minute, then said to me something like, well there's a first time for everything. I followed him across the stream and that cliff just kept getting higher and higher."   
  
Sloan laughed, "That happens doesn't it?"  
  
"We finally reached it and he looked around, our tracks led straight to the cliff, he told me to stay there and walked back to the water then traced his steps back towards the cliff. He told me to do the same. I figured out what he was doing, he wanted to give the illusion that we decided not to climb and headed back to the stream. He told me to follow him and to put my hands and feet exactly where he puts his. He started the slow climb up the rocky cliff. I was impressed with the ease he moved up. I knew he was hurting, I could sense it, but his determination erased all that. He would pause and look down at me to make sure I was okay. He made it to the top and looked over the side at me. He reached his hand out and kept saying, 'Come on, Tom, you can do it.' I was high enough were I reached for his hand and he helped pull me up. He was panting and he rolled over onto his back. I could see that he was tired and the climb had taken a lot of his strength. I helped him up and half carried him through the bushes to find another safe spot for him to rest." Tom paused, "You still with me?"  
  
"Oh yeah, keep going," Sloan closed her eyes trying to picture in her mind the story that Tom was telling her.  
  
"Ed had passed out on me shortly after I had him settled on the ground. I knew that what he needed most of all was water. But at the same time I didn't want to leave him there by himself. So I picked him up and carried him as I searched for water. Shortly after that's when Walter found us. I remember saying to Ed that the next time I get lost in the woods I hope that he's with me," Tom smiled, "He replied, 'Well, I hope there isn't a next time, but if there is, I hope you're with me too.'"  
  
"I'm sorry it took something like that for Ed to learn to trust you," Sloan said sadly.  
  
"Maybe that's what needed to happen. Ed knew that I could have easily turned him over to Lewis at any time, but I didn't. I think that's when he realized he could trust me." Tom hugged Sloan and he stared up at the ceiling. "Sloan?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you think Ed is with us now?"  
  
"Tom? I didn't know that dominants believe in life after death," Sloan said as she sat up partially.  
  
"No we don't actually, but after living and spending time with you humans, I'm beginning to question our beliefs." Tom brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.  
  
Sloan half smiled and with watery eyes replied, "Yes, I do believe he's with us."  
  
~*~  
  
Asante tried to get a message out but to no avail. He tried different methods but neither of them worked. He grunted in frustration. He leaned back in his chair thinking of another way to get word out to Darien. All the lines were blocked and any phone calls going out could only be made from certain phones. Cell phones could not be used because they were deep underground and all the metal used in the construction of the facility. Even the computer in his room was not hooked up to the internet. If any outside research needed to be done, it had to be authorized and done under guard. Any communication to the outside world was cut off. He would have to tell Tara and the two of them would have try to get Ed out themselves. But he knew he had to act fast. At last check, Ed was forced into stage three madness by Dr. Alvarez who didn't want to wait a couple of days to study the effects of stage five. Ed wasn't strapped to a table this time, but left ranting in his room at least until he went into stage four. Then Dr. Alvarez would do more testing.  
  
Asante knew that Ed was trying to tell them something before stage three kicked in. Something about the Limbic System, but then he stopped talking. Not sure if he didn't want them to know or if it was the madness that stopped him from explaining. He wondered if Ed had discovered something about the gland. He tried to explain that to Dr. Alvarez, but he wouldn't listen. They had all thought that Asante's heart was no longer in the project and that he had become soft. After all, he had argued in defense of Ed's health.   
  
The door swung open and GI Joe stood behind the Lady, "I'm disappointed in you Dr. Rhodes, I had thought that you would be a valuable member of this team. But I see I was wrong." She stepped aside and let GI Joe stand in the doorway with his gun raised.  
  
"What are you doing?" Asante asked nervously.  
  
"I can't allow you to send a message about Dr. Tate nor do I have any use for you on this team," she said to him as she eyed him with disdain.  
  
"Well, if death is the only way I have a chance of getting out of this mess, than I'll gladly accept it." Asante stood with his shoulders straight as he looked her straight in the eyes.  
  
"Any last words, Dr. Rhodes?" GI Joe asked.  
  
"Yeah, I do, this is wrong and I'm totally against it. If I had known what your plans were from the beginning I would not have volunteered."  
  
"Thank you, Dr. Rhodes, your objection is noted," the Lady said and patted GI Joe on his back.   
  
Asante closed his eyes, "I'm sorry I failed, Dr. Tate. I hope you get…"   
  
The Lady watched as Asante was shot and his body fell to the floor. She smiled and walked away.  
  
In the lab, Ed didn't even notice the gunshot. He was in the withdrawal stage of quicksilver madness and right now his world was filled with pain.  
  
Tara jumped when she heard the gunshot. She looked around and didn't see Asante. She gazed at the monitor in front of her, 'They found him.' She looked over at Ed who struggled during the beginning of stage four, 'I'm on my own now.'  
  
~*~  
  
The trip back early in the morning was a quiet one. Claire was taken home and went straight to bed. Darcy and Mark decided to stay with Claire for awhile. Hobbes and Darien decided to go to the office to continue their investigation. Darien was determined more than ever to find out who really killed Ed. With the Senator's bill and Ed's death happening at the same time, he was sure it wasn't a mere coincidence.   
  
Darien looked up and didn't need to read Hobbes senses that he was troubled, "What's up, Hobbes? You seem tense."  
  
"Fawkes, somethin' bothering me about this whole thing with Ed's death," Hobbes said as he sat down at his desk across from Darien.  
  
"I know what you mean. I was up all night thinking about it." Darien leaned forward.  
  
"Who did the complete autopsy on Ed's body?"  
  
"Ed's Keeper," Darien stated.  
  
Hobbes shook his head, "Okay, look, do you know where the broad was these past few days?"  
  
"No," Darien thought about it, "In fact, I don't remember her calling. We should ask Walter."  
  
"I did already; she didn't call him until the following day. She doesn't even attend his funeral, but Senator Allen is there for the photo op. Fawkes, I think it's time for you to do a little recon."   
  
"I'm beginning to think you're right."  
  
"And I think I know just the person who can help us also…" Hobbes was cut off by Walter walking in.  
  
Darien sat up straight, "Oh hey, Walter, I didn't…" he noticed the solemn look on Walter's face, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Darien, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you for your badge," Walter said.  
  
Darien and Hobbes stood up as they stared at each other in shock. "What?" they said in unison.  
  
Walter looked down at the floor and let out a long sigh, "There was an emergency meeting of the House, the bill passed. The President is expected to sign it into the law very soon."  
  
Darien shot Hobbes a quick glance of worry, "What? How? I mean, so soon?"  
  
"I was afraid of this. Remember our discussion yesterday at Irene's home about the high emotion that may run after the funeral?" Walter watched as Darien shook his head. "Well, it happened. With all the media coverage and pressure from constituents, the House held an emergency vote early this morning. The bill passed overwhelmingly."  
  
"But why do I have turn my badge in?" Darien asked.  
  
"Because of a clause in the bill, it states that all known dominants that are dangerous are to be rounded up." Walter looked sadly at Darien, "I'm sorry, but I've been ordered to take you and Tom into custody."  
  
"Wait, we're not dangerous besides it isn't a law yet until the President signs it," Darien protested.  
  
"Yes, I know, but they don't want you getting away. There's an army transport vehicle on its way here now to take you into custody," Walter looked at his watch, "You have five minutes to get out."  
  
Darien looked at Walter, "You weren't supposed to tell me yet were you?"  
  
"I wish I could give you more time, but I just got the call. They originally went to your place but no one was home and my superior called here asking where you were. I'm supposed to make sure that you don't leave. The Official received the phone call as well. He's on the phone now pleading to the President, but I doubt he'll have an effect. I've called Tom already and he's on his way to meet with Darcy and Mark at Claire's," he handed Darien a piece of paper, "Here's the rendezvous point. Where you can go from there, I don't know. I'm sorry, I wish I could do more."  
  
"Here," Walter handed Darien a phone, "Take this, it's a walkie talkie that can go long distances without being traced. I figured that you two would want to keep in touch for as long as you can. Let me know if you need anything, Hobbes." Walter walked away.  
  
Hobbes looked at Darien sadly, "Look, Fawkes, we'll think of something okay."  
  
Darien felt like his world had been pulled out from under him. He looked at his long time friend, "Thanks, Hobbes, for everything." They hugged.   
  
"You better leave, army mooks will be here any moment. I'll continue to investigate and let you know what I find."  
  
"Thanks, man, I appreciate it…" Darien was about to leave when the Official appeared at the door, alone. Darien stared at him for a moment waiting for him to bark out an order to halt. But he didn't.  
  
"I tried everything I could, I'm sorry. Good luck, Darien, I mean that," the Official stated.  
  
Darien shook his head and proceeded to use a chair to break the window. He took one last look at his friend and jumped from the second floor window.  
  
Hobbes ran to the window and looked out, he didn't see Darien anywhere. "Did he have to break the window? The Official asked.  
  
"He had to make it look like he escaped, Chief," Hobbes said as he continued to survey the alley.  
  
"Well, it's coming out of his pay," the Official retorted.  
  
Hobbes turned around and noted the smile on his face, Hobbes smiled back. The Official turned and walked away. Hobbes looked at the vacant desk now, "When did things go wrong, Fawkes?" Hobbes walked out; he needed to talk to Eberts.  
  
A couple of minutes later, soldiers stormed the agency. The Official greeted them and told them where they could find Darien. He watched as the soldier ran up the stairs and some took the elevator. Army putzes."   
  
~*~  
  
A nurse stood next to Ed as she tried to make him comfortable during stage four. He had been out of it for awhile now and the bite block had been removed a long time ago. His body shook from the withdrawal pain he was experiencing. She placed the soft cloth in the cool water and rung it out. She patted his forehead when a soft mumble came from his lips. She looked around and then bent down closer to his mouth to hear him better, "Dr. Tate?"  
  
"Nnnooo...moorrr....no..." Ed whispered as he winced from the pain. His eyes squeezed shut from the torture his body was enduring.   
  
"Dr. Tate, can you hear me?" The nurse asked softly, but Ed didn't answer. She motioned to the lab tech standing by, "Get Dr. Alvarez, I think he's coming out of it."  
  
Ed pulled on his restraints, "...No more..." he moaned.  
  
"Dr. Tate...Dr. Tate…" The nurse tried to check his eyes but he began to shake more violently as if the room temperature dropped dramatically to freezing levels.   
  
The nurse checked his forehead, he felt clammy. An orderly came to help her as she tried to hold his head and get him to open his eyes, but he continued to shake. She felt a strong pulse on his neck. She looked down at his wrists, small trickles of blood were beginning to form around his wrists and ankles. "I have to loosen these up he's shaking so violently." The orderly tried to keep him still. The nurse released one of the straps to check his wrist when Ed grabbed her throat suddenly in flash of speed. The nurse tried to scream but Ed was holding her throat so tight that it came out as a gasp.  
  
Ed opened his eyes. The nurse looked at them with horror. The red eyes were still there but now where his eyes were once brown were now silver. The eyes of Dr. Tate had anger in them like she had never seen before. They were the eyes of the demon that had finally been released from its entrapment deep inside of Ed.   
  
Ed pulled her closer to him, "No more tests..." he hissed with a fiery tone. The orderly moved behind the nurse and tried to get her away from Ed, but his strength was more than he could handle. Ed continued to speak and became louder with each statement, "...no more tests...no more needles...NO MORE!!!!"   
  
Ed pushed her back and knocked her into the orderly. They fell on the ground in a heap. Ed removed his restraints and hopped off the table as he pulled off all the electrodes from his chest and head. Alarms sounded from the various medical equipment that he had been hooked up to. He turned over the table sending the annoying machines crashing to the floor. Scientists and other lab techs had stopped in their tracks when they saw Ed and the strength he possessed even after all he had been through. With lightning speed he had released himself and smashed equipment before they could even get near him.   
  
Ed glared at them and let the quicksilver flow. The scientists looked around frantically. "Lock the doors, don't let him out!" someone yelled out. One of the scientists went flying through the air and landed on another group of frightened scientists. They all crashed to the floor as a wicked disembodied laugh echoed in the room. Computer monitors were tossed in the air and tables overturned. Ed had picked up a chair and started smashing other things in the room.  
  
The doors opened and soldiers ran into the room wearing thermal goggles. They quickly spotted Ed and one fired his weapon. Ed felt the sting in his rear. He dropped the chair and turned to look at the soldier who shot him, it was GI Joe. "It figures," Ed said before he fell to the floor.  
  
Dr. Alvarez followed the soldiers and gazed around the room. He looked down at Ed and then at GI Joe, "Lock him up for now until we can get this place cleaned up." He looked at the other scientists, "Now, will someone please explain to me how he got free."  
  
The nurse stepped up and explained what had happened. Dr. Alvarez wasn't pleased, but now at least everyone understood how dangerous Ed was now and they would be extra careful next time.   
  
~*~  
  
"So, Eberts, you gonna help or what?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"Yes, I believe I can help," Eberts announced as he sat down at his computer. "Now, the first thing I can do is check the phone calls coming in and going out of the Agency on the day of Dr. Tate's accident and the one the one Dr. Attwood received today." Eberts punched some keys on his keyboards and waited. He shook his head, "I don't see anything here on the Agency phones, but I can check the cell phone records."  
  
"You can do that?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"Yes, we monitor all phones here, to make sure agency phones are not used for excessive personal use." Eberts said.  
  
Hobbes rolled his eyes, "Penny pinchin' Fat Man."  
  
"There, look, it seems that the Keeper received a call on the morning of Dr. Tate's accident."  
  
"Do you know who called him?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"No, it's not an Agency number. It was another cell phone so it's impossible for me to tell where the call came from." Eberts pursed his lips, "Let me try something. I might be able to get into the account and see exactly who made the call."  
  
After a few minutes of trying, Eberts couldn't get through. "The account for this phone is blocked; it must be a Government issued number, someone with top level security."  
  
Hobbes straightened up, "Okay, so who would have a government issued phone number that would want it blocked? What's Walter's cell phone number?" Hobbes asked.  
  
Ebert's typed in Walter's name and the number came up, "It's not blocked."  
  
"I think I know who," Hobbes paused and looked down at Eberts, "The broad."  
  
"Robert, I think you need to see this," Eberts said. Hobbes bent down to look at the monitor. "It seems that someone with a blocked account called the Keeper later on in the evening," Eberts looked up, "the same day Dr. Tate died."  
  
"Now, that's interesting. When did he leave?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"Some time that night," Eberts said sadly.   
  
"Looks like we're getting more pieces to this puzzle," Hobbes said. He put his hands on hips, "You know something, Eberts, I'm beginning to think that Ed might be alive." He looked at Eberts, "Is there anyway that you can triangulate the calls coming in?"  
  
"Only calls going out and the phones on our system…wait, let me try something." Eberts began to try his trick.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed woke up on the mattress. At first he thought the lights were dimmed because everything was dark, but he quickly realized that there was something covering his eyes. He tried to move his hands but couldn't. He looked down and saw cuffs around his wrists that were attached to a chain going around his waist. From that there was another chain going down to his ankles and that was attached to cuffs as well. Ed leaned his head back and started to laugh.   
  
Apart from feeling sore and hungry, Ed felt great, in fact, he hadn't felt better. He tried to quicksilver the cuffs and alarms went off. "Oh turn those damn things off!" He yelled out in his room or it was more like a cell now. He heard the door unlock and then open, he turned his head to see who came in. He smiled maliciously when Dr. Alvarez walked in with two guards and one of them was GI Joe with his trusty cattle prod. 'One of these days, that damn thing is going where you don't want it,' Ed mused to himself. The thought allowed a soft chuckle to escape his lips. Ed sat up on the mattress and used the wall for support. Another nurse came in carrying a tray of food.  
  
"Hey baby, what you got for me?" Ed said as she approached him with caution. He smiled at the sudden power he seemed to have. He gazed at the nurse as she put the tray down, "Got some food for me, huh?" He made a sudden move and the nurse jumped back. Ed laughed, "Don't worry, sweetheart, I don't bite…hard."  
  
"Leave the nurse alone, Dr. Tate," Dr. Alvarez said.  
  
"I'm just playin', come on, where's your sense of humor?" Ed said as he leaned back up against the wall.   
  
"These men will release one wrist so you can eat. There are temperature sensors in this room and are set to detect even the smallest hint of temperature change around you. If you quicksilver, you'll set off the alarms, like you just did." Dr. Alvarez turned and spoke as he walked out, "Don't give these gentlemen a hard time." The door closed.  
  
Ed looked at the two soldiers and smiled. GI Joe stood guard as the other soldier released Ed's right wrist. Ed broke the silence, "So, what's with the prison style bling-bling and the Mark Spitz eye wear?"  
  
"Just eat," GI Joe replied.  
  
"Ahh…I get it, my eyes right? Darien's were silver in stage five, is that what my eyes look like? They must be pretty scary if they're covered up," Ed said as he picked up his fork and took a mouth full of food. He was hungry and this time he would not throw his meal against the glass. If he was going to escape, he would need his strength. Ed looked up and saw the two guards staring at him, "You know it's really rude to stare at someone while they're eating."  
  
The two guards stood with there arms folded. "Shut up and eat," GI Joe commented.  
  
Ed laughed as he spoke, "You're some bad ass aren't ya, GI Joe?"   
  
GI Joe didn't flinch and stood watch as the man in the dark blue scrubs ate. Ed managed to finish the rest of his meal without saying anything else. No sense in getting beaten up if he wanted to stay relatively healthy. Besides with his ankles and left wrist still cuffed, there wasn't anyway for him to fight back.  
  
~*~  
  
"Eberts, I take back all the bad things I've said about you," Hobbes said as he read the appointment book. "It seems our Lady of agony was out of town the day Ed died and she was even the one who suggested Dr. Asante Rhodes to be Ed's Keeper, who just so happened to have been the one to perform Ed's autopsy."   
  
"It appears that she was gone for a couple of days," Eberts commented. With Walter's help he was able to hack into the Lady's computer. All Eberts needed was a location and Walter was more than happy to give up that information.  
  
"Not kosher, that's for sure. Okay, let's look at a couple of days before Ed died," Hobbes said.  
  
Eberts scrolled down the appointment book, "She had meetings but it doesn't say where or with whom." Eberts pursed his lips together as he looked at the monitor.  
  
"Check the day that Ed was supposed to leave on his trip."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"A feeling," Hobbes said.   
  
There was nothing. Eberts typed in different dates prior to Ed's trip and something caught his eye. "The same thing, more meetings and they were top level."  
  
"This is starting to make some sense, Eberts. She only had these top level meetings before something happened to Ed." Hobbes put his hands on his hips and was in deep thought for a minute when Eberts broke his concentration.  
  
"Robert, I think I found something. Take a look," Eberts pointed to a name with numbers, *Operation: Gemini 115š47'30"W 37š16'30"N*  
  
"Hel-lo those are longitude and latitude directions. Let's check those numbers. Can you bring up a map?" Hobbes asked.  
  
Eberts pulled up his program for geological site surveys, "Okay, let me just put in the coordinates here and see what we get." Eberts waited and shook his head when he saw the result, "Wait, this can't be right."  
  
"That's smack dab in the middle of ET land, my friend," Hobbes said.  
  
"Area 51," Eberts announced. "The coordinates are right in the middle of a lake bed, more specifically Groom Lake. It makes sense actually, it's highly classified, and you can't get near it because it's heavily guarded. It's the perfect place to take an invisible man," Eberts paused, "Robert, do you think that Dr. Tate could be at Area 51?"  
  
"ET also stands for Ed Tate," Hobbes looked at Eberts, "The more evidence we uncover the more I think the good doc is still among the living. Ed was set up from the very beginning. Arnaud double-crossed the Lady and put the gland in Ed," Hobbes remarked. He paced around the room while his hand gently massaged his chin. Eberts sat staring at the monitor. "Okay, take this scenario," Hobbes broke the silence, "The Lady wants a gland of her own and knows that Arnaud contacted Ed. She sets up a deal with Arnaud with Ed as the centerpiece. But Ed is only supposed to get close to the gland because of his background. What she promised Arnaud, we don't know, but say that Arnie was supposed to let Ed go. She fakes Ed's death by making it look like an accident, she takes Ed to a top secret base to get the information from him. They create their own glands and bam, instant invisible army to help with the government's round up of dominants. The only problem is that Arnie double crossed her by putting the gland in his head. So, to make it look like Arnie killed Ed, she has the fake Ed appear to have a hole in his head just in case someone happens to take a peek. Fake Ed's body is cremated so that if we get suspicious, we can't run a DNA test. Looks like they stole a plan right out of the pages of the Agency play book."  
  
"Then the name Gemini is correct," Eberts added, "Whether Dr. Tate was supposed to have a gland implanted or not, the name is now apropos to the situation."  
  
"We need to get to Area 51, we'll have to drive. How far is it?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"Take a plane supplied by me," Walter announced as he walked into the room.  
  
Hobbes and Eberts both straightened up. "Look, sir, we…" Hobbes was trying to come up with an excuse.  
  
Walter put his hands up, "It's okay, I did some checking of my own and found that Senator Allen had received a number of phone calls from my superior. Some of them from area code 702…Las Vegas."  
  
Hobbes turned his gaze to Eberts who was already pulling up another map. "Nellis Air Force Range…ah…Area 51 is 90 miles north of Las Vegas."  
  
"That's it, we got 'im," Hobbes said.  
  
"I'll have the plane waiting and when you land at the airport, I'll have a van with all the equipment you need. Just let me know." Walter said.  
  
Hobbes looked at Walter, "You're going to help me?"   
  
"Why wouldn't I? Ed is a friend and if he's out there, I want him back. You have the walkie talkie to contact Darien. I'll make the arrangements with sympathizers to get you, Darien and Tom to the airfield."   
  
Hobbes walked up to Walter and shook his hand, "Thanks."  
  
"You can thank me by bringing Ed back safe and sound, if he's still alive." Walter turned and left the office.  
  
Hobbes looked at Eberts with determination, "Okay, Eberts, pull up anything you can find on this base, security, checkpoints, when they take a piss, layouts…everything. I want as much information as I can get."  
  
Eberts, with a stern look on face answered, "You got it." He turned back to his computer and went to work.  
  
"I'm gonna put that list together for Walter," Hobbes said as he picked up the walkie talkie. "Eberts, thanks for your help."  
  
"Anytime, Robert," Eberts smiled.  
  
TBC…  
  
A/N: If you want to see a graphic of Ed in stage five quicksilver madness, email me and I'll send it to you. 


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile here. I completely forgot. And just a side note, I'm a D/C shipper myself so having Claire/Ed and Darien/Darcy together has been a big step for me. Well, I decided to think outside the box and have some fun. Thanks for giving this weird fic a chance.  
  
And now for something completely different.  
  
Chapter 20  
  
The Lady angrily hung up her phone. She held it so tight in her hand if it were alive she would have squeezed it to death like an anaconda. Dr. Alvarez sat across from her and looked at her quizzically. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she leaned on her desk and glared at nothing in particular in the room. After a moment of intense silence she spoke.  
  
"He let him escape," she said spitefully.   
  
"Who let who escape?"  
  
The Lady straightened her posture, "Walter let Agent Fawkes escape."  
  
Dr. Alvarez stood up, "Does he suspect that Dr. Tate is still alive?"  
  
"Dr. Rhodes was very convincing. I doubt that any of them suspect Dr. Tate is still alive." She sat back down at her desk and looked down for a moment. Dr. Alvarez read her body language and knew she was in deep thought. He sat back down as well.  
  
"I think I might know how to find Agent Fawkes," she said as she broke the silence again.  
  
"How?"  
  
"His partner. I'll have him followed. He might lead us to Agent Fawkes."   
  
Dr. Alvarez nodded in agreement. "What about Dr. Attwood?"  
  
"He's the least of my concerns right now. I'm more concerned about Agent Fawkes and Dr. Tate." She leaned forward on her desk, "How is Dr. Tate?"  
  
"He's secured and my people are cleaning up the mess he made. I have a few tests I want to run and then I'll start the reprogramming."  
  
"How long will that take?"  
  
Dr. Alvarez pressed his lips together as he thought of a time table, "I'd say maybe a week."  
  
The Lady's eyes widened with expectancy, "Really, that short of time?"  
  
"I don't see why not. Even though he showed incredible strength, he's still in a weakened state and with the help of chemicals, he should be ready…" Dr. Alvarez leaned forward, "…and very willing to follow orders."  
  
"Chemicals? What kind of chemicals?"  
  
"That's what the tests are for. You see right now the state he's in is due to a chemical imbalance in his brain from the toxin that causes quicksilver madness. Once I can determine what that imbalance is, I'll know what drugs to use. If I use the wrong one it can cause him to be completely uncontrollable or turn him into a vegetable. I believe it's in our best interest to keep him as is."  
  
The Lady shook her head, "Do what you have to do to insure that Dr. Tate is kept…as is. Keep me up to date on your progress," she stood up. "And I will have Agent Fawkes soon enough," she added.  
  
Dr. Alvarez stood up and smiled, "I'm looking forward to meeting him."   
  
"I'm sure you are," she said as she watched him turn and walk out. She picked up her phone and punched in the code to make another phone call.  
  
~*~  
  
"Fawkes!"  
  
"Hobbes?"   
  
"Hey got some news on that package we thought we lost…oh which reminds me…did you see Dexter's Laboratory last night when he went to China?"  
  
Darien, with a puzzled look said to the phone as Hobbes continued to speak, "What are you talking about?" Tom, Mark and Darcy also had puzzled expressions on their faces.  
  
Hobbes rolled his eyes and thought to himself, 'Come on, kid, get with the game here.'   
  
Darien thought quickly, "I think you mean Japan…"  
  
"Yeah, whatever, anyway back to the package, Alonzo was able to track it down for us, seems like it was delivered intact and not damaged at all. I'm going to go check it out." Hobbes put the phone down and silently prayed that Darien understood what he was trying to say. He knew he was being followed and wasn't sure if they could hear him or not. Better to play it safe then sorry. If Walter's superior had any idea that he knew something was going on, she would move Ed to another location that is, if he was still alive. That was something he didn't want to risk.  
  
Darien stared at the walkie talkie style phone, "Okay, he's lost it…" Darien paused and thought for a moment, "Wait…Alonzo…Eberts pet turtle…"   
  
"Eberts has a pet turtle?" Darcy asked in a surprise tone.  
  
Darien shot her a quick glance, "No…actually he had a pet turtle, it was killed in the line of duty."  
  
Now it was time for Tom and Mark to give each other surprised looks. "Humans…I still don't understand them," retorted Mark. Darcy smiled at Mark.  
  
"Hobbes and I were about to investigate some things about Ed's death that didn't make sense. But that's when Walter came in and told me to run for it. Hobbes decided to go ask Eberts for help. He must have found something out, but what's up with the cartoon…" Darien's voice trailed off as he mentally tried to decipher the odd message from Hobbes.  
  
"So you know that Eberts was able to find out something from what Hobbes said?" Mark asked in a tone that showed he still didn't understand.  
  
"Yeah, see when Hobbes mentioned 'Alonzo' I remembered about Eberts' turtle. If Hobbes knew he was being followed he probably thought that they had bugged the van or something and that's why he mentioned 'Alonzo' when he really meant Eberts." Darien shook his head, "Guess being paranoid has its advantages."  
  
"What do you think he found out?" Darcy asked.  
  
"I don't know, but it must be something big by the tone of his voice. We'll just have to wait and see," Darien noted as he ran his hand through his hair. He stopped suddenly, "Wait…Dexter…China…" a long pause passed before realization sunk in, "Oh crap."  
  
"Darien, what's wrong?" Darcy asked noting the expression of shock on Darien's face.  
  
"Ed's alive…at least Hobbes thinks he is," Darien announced.  
  
~*~  
  
Hobbes had parked his van so it would be visible at all times. He walked inside the tall building and headed for the parking garage. There he met up with Walter. "Anyone follow you?" Walter asked.  
  
"Yeah, just like you said they would. How 'bout you?"  
  
"No, she's not interested in me right now. She wants to find Darien and knows that only you will lead her to him," Walter said as he handed Hobbes a set of keys. "I couldn't get the plane. She has it at the airport in Las Vegas. But I do have a vehicle for you that I'm sure you'll be impressed with…" Walter handed Hobbes a piece of paper, "…It's parked here. Everything you'll need is in it. Eberts even supplied the information you requested. There are uniforms in there for you and Tom along with ID's to get on the base."  
  
"Looks like we're all set," Hobbes said as he looked at Walter. "You know, there's no quarantines here. I'm only going on a hunch."  
  
Walter put his hand on Hobbes shoulder, "Hobbes, I'm well aware of that. Right now, I'm interested in answers. Even if one of those answers is that Ed is dead, at least we'll know for sure."  
  
Hobbes nodded and walked off. Walter stood there and watched the seasoned agent walk away, "I hope you find him."  
  
~*~  
  
Ed was escorted back to the lab. "Ah, home sweet home," he said with a smirk. He was pushed from behind and he let out an exasperated sigh. He was led to the chair and was forced to sit down. "Hey you know, Arnaud gave me a buzz a month ago, I really don't think I need a haircut so soon," Ed retorted as he was secured to the chair. He looked at his wrists and felt the strap tightened around his chest. He leaned his head back and watched as Dr. Alvarez approached him.   
  
Dr. Alvarez studied Ed for a moment and then nodded. Ed's head was secured. He was about to say something when he felt the pressure and then the pain. He became dizzy and passed out. Dr. Alvarez watched as the needle was inserted into Ed's head. The quicksilver flowed into the canisters.   
  
"How much are you going to take?" Tara asked as she checked Ed's vitals.  
  
"As much as I need to run tests. Don't worry, Dr. Marsh, I'm not taking blood, this won't affect him at all." Dr. Alvarez turned the lab tech, "Make sure these are filled up." The lab tech nodded and Dr. Alvarez walked away.  
  
Tara looked down at Ed, 'What are they doing? He doesn't need this much quicksilver to run tests. They must be using it for something else. But what?' She thought to herself as she continued to monitor Ed.  
  
"Dr. Marsh."  
  
She snapped out of her thought and looked at another scientist, "Yes?"  
  
"You can go back to your research, I'll keep an eye on Dr. Tate," the scientist said.  
  
"Okay, thanks," she walked away trying to figure out what they would need quicksilver for. This whole situation was becoming more bizarre and they certainly were not willing to share their plans with her. And she knew why, even though she was working with them, she was still a dominant. The longer she stayed the more dangerous it was becoming for her. Maybe it was time to find out just what their plans were for Ed and the quicksilver they were taking from him.  
  
~*~  
  
"What? Are you sure you understood Hobbes right?" Darcy asked.  
  
"Well, 'Dexter' is the code name we used for Ed for his first meeting with Arnaud. One time we had faked Hobbes' death to flush out the Chinese that were trying to kidnap him. That's why Hobbes mentioned China…he also said the package we thought was lost was actually delivered undamaged…" Darien looked at the three dominants standing in front of him, "I think Hobbes was talking about Ed."  
  
"But why go through all the trouble, why Ed?" Mark asked.  
  
Darien looked at Mark and remembered that he knew something had happened to Ed but he never gave him all the details. Darcy and Tom looked at Darien for any sign that he was going to tell Mark. "Okay, look, Ed was kidnapped about four weeks ago and had a gland implanted in his head..." Darien glanced at Mark, "He can turn invisible too."  
  
Mark shook his head, "What?"  
  
"That's why that night we needed your help to hide Ed. He was in quicksilver madness and Walter's superior had ordered a gland harvesting party if Hobbes and I didn't get back in time with the counteragent," Darien told him.   
  
"We think that the Lady set Ed up and may have been ultimately responsible for Ed's death or maybe now his disappearance," Tom said and then noted his choice of words by cracking a smile.  
  
"You got that right in more ways than one, bro," Darien retorted amusingly.  
  
"But why would she want to set up Ed?" Mark asked.  
  
"Sit down, this is going to take some time to explain," Darien said. Mark sat as Darien began to fill him in on why all this happened to Ed.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed woke up to find himself strapped down on a table again. But this time, the table was cushioned. He saw the nurse scamper off quickly, he smiled as he licked his lips, "Aww…come on back, baby! I have an itch that needs scratchin'!" He chuckled softly to himself and then from the corner of his eye he caught sight of Dr. Alvarez. Ed snarled at him, "What did you do to me?"  
  
"We drained some quicksilver from the gland," he said simply as he prepared for the next round of tests.  
  
Ed raised a brow, "Interesting, I'm not only a lab rat, but a cow as well." Ed paused to glare at Dr. Alvarez, and then replied in a condescending tone, "Moo." Ed let out a sigh, "Okay so, how and why did you do it?"  
  
"With a needle straight into the gland," Dr. Alvarez paused for a moment and then continued, "With your group combining with the Agency we were able to get some pretty valuable information about some of Agent Fawkes' cases, one in particular stood out. The Chinese were able to extract quicksilver from his gland and we just copied the procedure."  
  
"Come on, we both know that that procedure was not in Darien's reports. You got it from the Chinese themselves didn't you?" Ed watched his expression, "Tell me the truth," he said in a tone that his mother used to use on him. "Look, I know that the Chinese are just as interested in this project as anyone else is. But this time, there's a common threat. Dominants. So, what better threat that forces the world to work together." Ed raised his brows, "They shared that bit of info with you didn't they?"  
  
Dr. Alvarez sighed, "We are working together on some things, but the information on the gland remains a top secret for our government."  
  
"Yeah, okay, whatever. What do they want return? Quicksilver?" Ed waited for the answer and didn't get one. He shook his head in disbelief. "So, what'd you do, put the needle through the foramen magnum above the atlas cervical vertebra straight to the gland? Must have been tricky for you, don't want to knick the ol' spinal cord. Or did you just go through the occipital bone?"  
  
Dr. Alvarez stared at Ed for a moment, "Even in stage five you remember all your medical knowledge."  
  
"It's quicksilver madness not Alzheimer's," Ed snapped back.  
  
Dr. Alvarez leaned down towards Ed and pulled off the swimmers goggles to get a good look at Ed's eyes, "And that makes you dangerous…"  
  
"You have no idea," Ed retorted with a malicious look.   
  
"…and that is why we are going to find a way to control your aggressive behavior." The swimmers goggles were placed back on Ed's eyes. "Now, Dr. Tate, I need you to do a favor for me."  
  
Ed lifted his head, "You gotta be kiddin' me," he commented more as a statement rather than a question. He couldn't believe that this scientist would have the nerves to ask him a favor after all he's been through.   
  
GI Joe approached Ed with the baton in his hand. Dr. Alvarez gazed at Ed, "I expect full cooperation from you," then he leaned down to Ed's ear, "I would also love to test your pain threshold in stage five. How much do you think you can handle?" He straightened back up when Ed didn't answer him. "I knew you'd see it my way. I'm going to run some tests and I need you to quicksilver on my command. I'm going to take a series of positron emission tomography scans."  
  
"PET scans? So, I take it you want to study how my brain communicates with the gland, the chemical imbalance…" Ed paused and turned his head to face Dr. Alvarez, "…pin point the possible mutation in the gland?"  
  
Dr. Alvarez smiled, "You do want a cure don't you?"  
  
Ed turned his head again to look up at the ceiling, "Somehow I doubt the cure is for me but for the glands you want to clone." Ed returned his gaze to Dr. Alvarez, "What else are you looking for? Hmm, chemical imbalance…you said you wanted to control my aggressive behavior..."  
  
Dr. Alvarez ignored Ed, "We're ready to begin." He injected Ed with the necessary chemicals for the scans and signaled for the tests to begin. He stood behind the monitor and looked at Ed with a smile as the table was moved inside the imaging machine, "Okay, Dr. Tate, quicksilver your right arm."  
  
~*~  
  
Darien let Hobbes in and took a look at his partner dressed in fatigues, "Whoa...Hobbes…what's with the threads?"  
  
"War my friend," Hobbes said as he patted Darien on the back. Tom, Mark and Darcy came up to greet him as well.   
  
"Okay, so what's the deal?" Darien asked.  
  
"Look, before I say what I'm about to say I just want to say that what I'm about to say is purely speculation…"  
  
Darien's forehead creased with confusion, "Uh, Hobbes, just tell us okay?"  
  
"Okay, I think Ed might be alive." Hobbes watched as the faces in the room turned to total shock.   
  
"That's what I figured from your encrypted phone call. How, I mean, what makes you think that?"  
  
"Look, I'll explain all that later, but we need to get moving." Hobbes looked at Mark and Darcy, "I could use your help too."  
  
"You got it," Darcy said excitedly.  
  
Darien was still trying to let Hobbes words sink in. He stared at Hobbes, "Where're we goin'?"  
  
"Nevada, my friend, Nevada." Hobbes patted Darien on the back, "Come on, it's a long ride."  
  
Darien turned to Darcy, "Nevada?"  
  
"That's what the man said," she hugged Darien, "What if it's true, Darien, what if Ed is still alive?"  
  
Darien ran his hand down the side of her face, "Remember, babe, he said it's only speculation. Don't get your hopes up." Darien remembered all to well the time when he was led to believe that Kevin was still alive only to have his own hopes crushed in the end. He didn't want to go through that again and he didn't want Darcy to experience that either.  
  
Darcy shook her head, "Yeah, I know. But we can still hope, right?"  
  
He put his hands on her shoulders, "Darcy, a long time ago I was hopeful that Kevin was still alive and he wasn't. Until I know for sure, I will believe what we know so far."  
  
"I know, kinda like innocent until proven guilty. Ed is dead until proven alive," she said sadly.  
  
"Yeah, that's it. Babe, I'm sorry, but I know how it feels and I don't want to go through that again." Darien held her close to him.  
  
"I understand and your right, if he is really dead and I build up this hope that he's still alive, it could hurt even more."  
  
Darien let out a sigh. He hated to do that but he had to, for both of them.  
  
~*~  
  
Ed was put back on the metal table and strapped down. He had noticed that there was another table not to far from him, "Hey, expecting company?"   
  
"That's none of your concern," Dr. Alvarez said while he checked Ed's restraints. He had new restraints placed on the table since Ed was able to break out of the other ones that had been worn out from excessive use.   
  
"You either have another lab rat coming or that's for my autopsy," Ed said coldly as he glanced around the room. The other table didn't appear to be for an autopsy so he chose the lab rat theory.  
  
"Behave yourself, Dr. Tate, the nurse here is going to draw some blood," Dr. Alvarez glanced over at GI Joe who stood on the other side of the table with his trusty cattle prod in hand.  
  
Ed glared at him with a smirk, "With that big stick you carry around I'd say you're trying to compensate for something."  
  
The nurse chuckled softly as she prepared the kit to take some blood samples. GI Joe read Dr. Alvarez's body language and knew instantly that he was being ordered not to retaliate. He had been told that no harm should come to Dr. Tate until it was ordered by a superior. Dr. Alvarez had explained that physical punishment on Dr. Tate in the state that he was in would only make him angry and his pain threshold had risen. What hurt him before would not hurt him now. His last words to the guards were, "Don't make him angry."  
  
Dr. Alvarez seeing that GI Joe understood his command walked away to leave the nurse to her duties. He walked over to the Lady who stood nearby and witnessed the exchange.   
  
"How long before you can get him under control?" She asked impatiently.  
  
"This may take longer than I first suspected, he's intelligent and extremely strong willed at this point. I'm beginning to think that he might not be the perfect candidate for this." Dr. Alvarez glanced back at Ed who was saying something to the nurse and it visibly unnerved her. GI Joe had ordered him to shut-up or else they would gag him again. Dr. Alvarez shook his head, "We need to be very careful with this one. Are you sure that putting Agent Fawkes and Dr. Tate in the same room is a smart move?"  
  
"In stage five Dr. Tate has no loyalties but to himself. I'm curious to know if he's really as strong as a dominant. The report said that Dr. Tate had easily overpowered Tom Daniels and that Agent Fawkes failed in the attempt to disrupt his electrical impulses when he arrived back at the Agency, I want to see this for myself," the Lady said as she kept her eye on Ed.  
  
"Okay then, may I suggest that you put them in the padded room where we can watch and contain them at the same time?"  
  
"Yes, I don't want either of them getting out and I also want them both alive. I just want to make sure that Dr. Tate can handle himself on a mission if he were to confront a dominant." The Lady turned and walked out of the lab.  
  
Tara from her side of the lab had watched the conversation, she couldn't hear what they were saying but she felt the emotions. Dr. Alvarez seemed nervous and then cautious. The Lady was calm as usual, like she wasn't fazed at all about being in the same room with a potential psychopathic killer. The nurse attending Ed was definitely frightened. The guard that Ed nicknamed GI Joe was confident and showed no fear at all towards Ed. She knew that was a mistake. By showing no fear the guard was underestimating Ed and his violent potential. But she knew, because she could feel the anger coming from him. It was thick in the air and she also sensed the deep desire for revenge. Getting Ed out was going to be harder now than she thought. She was certainly going to need help and knew what she may have to do.  
  
Seducing Ed would be easier while he's in this state. His commitment to his human mate would not be an issue as right now he had no morals. His conscious was gone. The lid was definitely blown off his id. She knew the dangers and that Ed would have no remorse if he decided to kill her but it was a chance she was willing to take. At least she had some chance of protecting herself being a dominant and a trained Chameleon. But before she could go on with her plan, she needed to get a hold of stage five counteragent and secretly download any information she could get her hands on. Her mission had turned upside down and she was conflicted with loyalties to her father and her species, but something about this man made her think twice. This man was wanted by the High Council and especially by her father. The High Council had wanted Ed killed, but before the Alaska incident, they had changed their minds. Dr. Copeland, who once was Ed's med school advisor and teacher, had successfully argued that Dr. Tate was more valuable to them alive then dead. He had underestimated Ed's ability as a scientist and warned the Council not to do the same. In the end, Dr. Copeland had failed in getting Ed to join him.  
  
The High Council was angry at her father; they blamed him for letting not only Dr. Tate out of his grasp twice, but Darien Fawkes as well. She could redeem her father partly with the Council if she brought Ed to him and he in turn, brought Ed to them. She imagined in her mind her father giving Ed the dominant gene therapy and watched him slowly evolve, but she quickly shook that vision from her mind, 'What am I thinking? I'm so twisted up inside.' She got up to leave the lab to clear her mind. As she walked past Ed she could feel his cold, emotionless eyes on her. She quickly glanced at him and crossed her arms in front of her as a cold shiver went up her spine.   
  
"I'm sorry, Dr. Marsh," replied a scientist as he placed the goggles back on Ed's eyes.  
  
"It's okay, you were examining his eyes, I just walked by at the wrong time," Tara said as she stared into Ed's face. He was smiling and it sent another shiver through her. His smile was that of a predator when they have their prey cornered with no hope of escape. She turned and walked out quickly.  
  
Ed turned to GI Joe, "You know there's a Chinese proverb that goes 'How can you put out a fire set on a cart-load of firewood with only a cup of water?"  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
Ed smiled maliciously, "It means that that stick of yours is a minor solution to the bigger problem that's staring you in the face."  
  
~*~  
  
Tom sat in the passenger seat dressed in his fatigues as Darien, Mark and Darcy remained in the back of the van. They were on a journey that would take nearly five hours to drive to Las Vegas. From there they would head north for the 90 mile drive to Nellis Air Force Range, better known as Area 51.  
  
Darien shook his head, "I can't get over the fact that we're on our way to break into Area 51."  
  
"This is the sort of thing that scifi is made of. I mean, say Ed is still alive, it's a perfect place…in a science fiction sort of way," Darcy commented.  
  
"Yeah, the invisible man meets Klaatu," Hobbes retorted as he drove.  
  
"Well, the fictional invisible man was a scientist," Darcy said as she shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"True, but I doubt we'll find any men from mars…" Darien looked at Darcy sternly, "Don't even say it."  
  
"What? I wasn't going to say a word," Darcy said with a smile.  
  
Darien smiled at her knowing that she was thinking that men are from mars. "So, Hobbes, are we there yet?" He asked.  
  
Hobbes rolled his eyes, "Wise ass."  
  
Darcy chuckled in the back as Mark and Tom looked on with curiosity. Even though they had spent many years in the company of humans, they still didn't understand their behavior at times especially since Darien and Darcy still acted so human. Tom thought back to the time when he was human and for a moment, he was jealous of Darien and Darcy, both dominant and both so human.  
  
They all split driving the van the long distance, stopping to refuel, eat and a much needed bathroom break. Most of the time, they were all quiet letting the past events of the week sink in a bit more and what this particular mission means if they succeed or fail. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into, but they wanted answers. Was Ed still alive? Did Arnaud really take the gland or was it Walter's superior? What was her true agenda? If Ed was dead, Darien wanted to take her down, but he needed proof that she was responsible for his death.  
  
They were each lost in their own thoughts. Mark thought about the future of his species and the world. Tom thought of Sloan. Hobbes thought of how he could protect his best friend, his partner. Darien thought of Darcy and his unborn child. At first when Darcy told him, it frightened him. The responsibility that faced him down the road made him think of his own life. He didn't want to be like his own father that was certain in his mind and in his heart. But facing a future on the run was adding more pressure to him. They would certainly be searching for him; after all, he still had 17 million dollars worth of government property in his head. Being a dominant and the improved senses that he had would give him an added advantage but at what cost? Is it worth the risk to his family, his friends to put them in harms way? He was beginning to think that it might be best to turn himself in. He knew that they would catch up to him eventually and when they did, he couldn't bear to think what would happen if his family was around. But if he left them, then he would be like his father. He quickly shoved that plan out of his mind.  
  
"What you thinking about?" Darcy asked.  
  
Darien blinked several times quickly and took Darcy into his arms, "I love you, babe."  
  
"I love you too. Now are you going to tell me what you were thinking?" Darcy's voice was a little more commanding now.  
  
Darien leaned his head against one of the tables in the back of the van, "Just that I love you and I'll do anything to protect my family."  
  
Darcy swallowed hard, she knew right away what he was thinking, "Please don't leave us."  
  
"I won't leave you, but if push comes to shove and we get cornered I want you to run. I'll distract them cause they'll be more interested in what's inside my head than anything else. I couldn't bear it if they caught you and the baby. No telling what they'll do to you and our child."  
  
Darcy held Darien tight, "We won't let ourselves get in that position."  
  
"Okay, sounds good to me," Darien said to pacify her, but deep down inside he knew he would be caught.  
  
"Okay, Hobbes, once in Las Vegas, we need to take I-15 north to Highway 93 to Alamo and Ash Springs. Then north of Ash Springs, take the turn for Rachel onto Highway 318, then onto Highway 375. It says here that a section of Highway 375 near Area 51 was renamed 'The Extraterrestrial Highway,'" Tom noted as he read the directions that Eberts provided for them.  
  
"It figures, they probably did that for the tourists. Maybe after this they'll call a road 'I-Man Lane'?" Hobbes said as he turned his head to look at Darien with a very visible smirk on his face. "Huh? What'd you think o' that, partner?"  
  
"I think you're nuts, but you knew that already."  
  
Tom smiled as he shook his head. Darien scooted towards the front of the van to look out the window. He needed to stretch legs and bad, but he knew they couldn't waste anytime. The President was supposed to sign the bill the following day and they needed to find some answers before then to hopefully stop him or at least postpone the signing. The President was being duped into following someone else's agenda and they needed concrete evidence to prove that.  
  
"We're near Las Vegas already?" Darien asked.  
  
"About twenty minutes away but we won't be stopping to do any gambling so get that notion out of that troll headed mind of yours," Hobbes retorted as he steered the van towards I-15.  
  
Darien smirked at Hobbes comment, "Come on, Hobbes, easy cash man, just like before."  
  
"Yeah, and look where that got you, my friend, on the last train to Nutsoville."  
  
"You got a point."  
  
"I always have a point."  
  
"That you do."  
  
"You bet I do and don't you forget it."  
  
"Oh believe me, I won't."  
  
"Good, cause I'm the seasoned agent here and my experience is longer than your rap sheet."  
  
"Oh you think so?"  
  
"I don't think so, I know so."  
  
"Who can argue with that?"  
  
Hobbes turned to look at Tom, "See, glad someone acknowledges Bobby Hobbes' superiority in the spook business."  
  
Over an hour later, they noticed that the highway signs had spaceship stickers on them. They were getting close and it was time to get serious, to focus on what they were supposed to accomplish at the base. What they were attempting was dangerous and they could all be shot for trying to break into a military facility. At mile marker 34.5 on Highway 375, Hobbes turned onto Groom Lake Road. He looked at Tom, "You ready?"  
  
Tom put his military cap on and pulled out the fake papers that Walter and Eberts gave them. He signaled to Hobbes that he was ready with a nod.   
  
Hobbes then turned to Darien, "Get ready, I-Man, another thirteen miles and we should start seeing the warning signs."  
  
Darien took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I'm ready, Hobbes."   
  
Hobbes slowly made his way down the dusty road. He came upon the first warning sign and off to the side, were two guards dressed in black. Hobbes turned and looked at Tom, "It's show time."  
  
Tom had nerves of steel but for the first time, he was nervous. He pushed the emotion down and became the keen dominant that Lewis had trained him to be just for this kind of situation. For the first time in a long time, he silently thanked Lewis.  
  
Darien sensed the guards coming up to the van. He placed his hands on Darcy and Mark and turned on the gland in his head. The three were instantly covered in silver and disappeared.   
  
"Whoa…now this is…"   
  
"Shhh…" Darien cut Mark off to silence him and whispered, "They can still hear you."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Hobbes rolled down the window, "Good day, sir."  
  
"Let me see your papers and ID's."  
  
Hobbes took the papers and ID's from Tom and handed them to the guard. He tried to be as natural as he could be, but not too natural. Striking up a conversation by saying 'What a nice day' was not the plan. Just stay quiet and let the guard start any conversations.  
  
The guard looked suspiciously at Hobbes and then at Tom while his partner checked out the van. "So, what are two gentlemen doing here?"  
  
"We're delivering this van to someone who's not here," Hobbes voice sounded a bit annoyed.  
  
The guard again studied Hobbes and then turned his attention back to the papers. A few more seconds passed before he spoke again, "What's in the van that's going to someone who's not here?"  
  
"Take a look for yourself, it's all state of the art surveillance equipment."  
  
Tom shot Hobbes a surprised look. Hobbes waved his hand frantically out of the sight of the guard to tell Tom not to worry. The guard took a quick glance inside from Hobbes window.  
  
"Let me ask you another question. What constellation is visible tonight?"  
  
Hobbes raised a brow, "What constellation is visible tonight?"  
  
Darien's heart skipped a beat. Darcy gripped his hand tighter and she could hear Mark gasped in some way. Darien suddenly shifted and in his mind yelled out, 'Hobbes! Say Perseus!'  
  
"Perseus!" Hobbes said like he was answering a question on a quiz show. It was so sudden and loud that Tom jumped in his seat. Hobbes outburst had startled the guard as well.  
  
The guard handed Hobbes back the papers and ID's. He took a step back from the van and waved them through. Hobbes let out a sigh of relief and then saluted the guard as he drove by.  
  
Tom looked at Hobbes, "Great thinking, Hobbes."  
  
"It wasn't me, it was the Amazing Kreskin back there."  
  
Darien stopped the flow of quicksilver and relaxed, "That was close."  
  
"How did you know…oh wait, never mind," Darcy said.  
  
"It helps having a Jedi Knight around," Hobbes retorted.  
  
"Okay, now where do we go?" Darien asked as he leaned back to rest his head.  
  
"We have another gate to go through and that should be it, we should be on base in about five minutes," Hobbes said with certainty. "This is the easy part, my friend," he said as he glanced at Darien in the rear view mirror, "The hard part is finding out where they might have Ed if he's still alive and then getting out all in one piece."  
  
"What if Ed is dead?" Darcy asked.  
  
"We'll have to deal with that. But we're also here to find any information we can to change the President's mind about signing that bill," Darien stated as they approached the second gate.  
  
TBC…. 


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21  
  
Sloan sat on the porch as she watched the waves roll in. She watched as people walked up and down the beach. Some were couples who giggled and ran from the surf as it came in. Sloan half smiled at the game that everyone played. Let the waves chase you and then you chase the waves. Others jogged or walked their dogs while others played in the surf. All these things were the reason why Ed decided to get the beach house in the first place. Besides the lab, the beach is where he spent most of his off time. This was always a dream of Ed's, to have the ocean as his backyard. She was glad that he had the chance to fulfill a dream. Now with Tom having to go into hiding, there were things that they wanted to do and didn't. Life is too short to let things slip away. Sloan wiped a tear from her eye as the seagulls squawked over head as they glided on the wind in search of food. She missed Tom and didn't know if she would ever see him again. Then she thought of Claire and felt guilty about her own feelings.   
  
She heard footsteps behind her and quickly turned her head. "Oh, hi, Claire. How are you feeling?"  
  
Claire forced a smile and looked down at the cup of tea she was holding in her hands. She walked out onto the porch and sat down next to Sloan. "So-so, I miss him so much," she took a sip of her tea. "They say that time heals, but now I'm not so sure. I never thought that I could love anybody as much as I loved Ed," Claire looked at Sloan, "I knew him for such a short time, this must very hard on you."  
  
Sloan nodded, "I was just sitting here thinking of how many conversations we had about how our lives had taken such a sudden turn. That night I had said to Ed what I found would change his life and he said, 'I like my life'. I just never imagined how much of a change it would be. Walter had eventually sent the other lab people to different parts of the University because now our work was top secret or something like that. We no longer helped the FBI on cases, we didn't do research for grants that we were awarded. It all changed. Our work literally became a fight for survival," Sloan looked at Claire.  
  
"I know what you mean. That same feeling happened to me when I was assigned to the I-Man project…my life had taken this sudden turn…" Claire's voice trailed off and she stared out at the ocean.  
  
Sloan looked at her with concern, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Darien…I'm worried about him, about Darcy, Tom, Mark…all of us. I just can't believe that this has happened," Claire shook her head despondently.   
  
Sloan looked down at her hands, "The strange thing is, is that years ago this would have been welcome news, but now I believe it's the wrong thing to do. So much has changed in the last five years that I really thought we were making strides towards peace." Sloan paused and then smiled, "You know it was Ed who came up with the name for the new species."  
  
"Really? He didn't tell me that. How did that happen?" Claire looked at Sloan.   
  
"This was right before a press conference. Walter was going over the points he wanted to make about the new species, what we learned about the little boy Kevin, the Spanish Flu, cloning…all the things we had found out about them. Well, as Walter went down the list Ed blurted out, 'Boy, talk about establishing dominance.' I remember we all looked at him and he saw the expression on our faces and he was like: 'What?'" Sloan mimicked Ed so perfectly with her facial expression and body language that Claire couldn't keep herself from giggling. "That was it; Walter announced that the new species was now known as Homo-Dominant. Ed said that I should be the one to name them since I originally discovered them, but I told him that I wouldn't be able to come up with any name better then that one." Sloan paused for a moment and then continued, "You know, Ed hated all the press and the notoriety that the lab was getting in news. There were times I knew he would give anything to have it all go away and for things to go back to the way they were."  
  
Claire shook her head in agreement, "Darien was the same way in the beginning. There were times when he wished that he had never said 'yes' to Kevin's offer. Prison he understood, he knew what to expect and how to face it. But not with the gland and the madness that always waited for him in the shadows. Not to mention the uncertainty of me ever finding a way to get the gland out. He hated…" Claire forced a smile as she rethought her choice of words, "…hates being on a leash. He wasn't in control at the time, but with the cure, he's better…a little better."  
  
Sloan chuckled, "Ed and Darien are…were so much alike. I mean, when I saw them come to work that day and they both had on those plaid pants, I nearly died from laughter. Do you think they planned that?"  
  
"No, I couldn't believe that Ed had a pair of pants similar to Darien's and they both had on red shirts, well, Ed wore that pull-over sweater…" Claire paused and then giggled, "It was funny wasn't it?" Claire thought back to that day and how Hobbes had reacted by throwing his arms in the air and complaining that they both lacked fashion sense. Tom was certain at that point that they were twins separated at birth regardless of Ed's findings. "You think Darien would like to have those pants?"  
  
Sloan smiled, "I know it's hard, especially now to even think about going through his things and packing them up to give away. But, I would not have a hard time getting rid of those pants." Sloan and Claire both laughed. "I just can't believe he still had them. I remember one time he wore them when he and Walter set a trap for Tom."  
  
"Wait, what?…" Claire had to stop laughing so she could hear this story, "Walter and Ed set a trap for Tom?"  
  
"It's a long story but yeah, Walter hooked up something to his door to electrocute Tom. He set the voltage according to something that Ed had found out about the dominants. Lewis had regained control over Tom and we knew that he would come to the lab to kill all of us. So, Walter and Ed set the trap and it worked. Tom was knocked out and I was able to bring him back. Lewis was later captured and well, sometime later he escaped."   
  
"Interesting story," Claire said as she took a sip from her tea. "You want to hear about the time I went quicksilver mad?"  
  
"Yeah," Sloan turned to gaze at the beach, it was a typical sunny day in San Diego, "Let's go for a walk and we can share stories."  
  
Claire thought for a moment, "Sounds good."   
  
The Official and Walter both sat at their respective desks. Each checked their watches. Each knew what was happening and what it could mean. The lives of their employees and their own jobs could be lost in a futile attempt to find the truth. The Official let out a sigh and Eberts looked at him glumly. Walter tried his best to keep busy by doing paper work in a vain attempt to keep his mind off of it. Ray sat at home with a glass of scotch in his hand and Gracie looked at him with concern. Ray hadn't told her what was happening only that something was going down that could get his friends killed or thrown in prison. He didn't want to tell her that evidence seemed to point that Ed could still be alive, he didn't want to get Gracie's hopes up and then have them crashing down if they failed.  
  
Hobbes drove the van through the second gate without incident. He parked the van and sent a message to Walter that they were in position.  
  
Walter nearly jumped when his phone announced he had a message. He looked at it hurriedly and let out a huge sigh of relief when he recognized the prearranged message. They had made it safely on the base. His part of the plan was to call the Lady so that Hobbes could triangulate the signal and get a lock on her position. If she was on the base, he would find her easily within 50 yards. He notified Eberts that he was ready and left his office.  
  
He took the long walk to Charlie's office as a multitude of thoughts raced through his mind. His career and possibly his life were in the hands of four men and one woman hundreds of miles away. He had asked Ray to leave; if this mission was going to fail he didn't want Ray anywhere near the Agency today. Gracie needed her husband and Matt needed his father. Walter had told Ray that if they got caught, he would deny that Ray had any involvement and was innocent.  
  
Walter walked in and found Eberts ready to start. He glanced hopeful at Charlie, "Well, you staying or leaving?"  
  
The Official grunted deeply in his throat. He remembered how Darien and Hobbes had helped him long ago when he lost his job. It was time to return the favor, "I may not always show it, but I support my men during their missions. I'm staying."  
  
Walter nodded his head in approval and looked at Eberts, "Okay, let's get started." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number. Eberts traced the frequency and sent it to Hobbes location.  
  
"Okay, so how is this supposed to work?" Darien asked as he watched Hobbes.  
  
"Eberts is going to send me the frequency that Walter's phone is on. I'll be able to trace his call so I'll be able to triangulate her position," Hobbes put on the head set and waited for Eberts signal. "Okay, he's calling her. Cell phones work on a duplex system, another words they have two frequencies, one for each phone. Walkie talkies are half-duplex, one frequency only and that's why you can't talk at the same time, you have to wait for the other person to finish. Even if the Lady doesn't answer, I can still pick up on her frequency that's being sent."  
  
"And how is that?" Mark asked.  
  
"All I need is for her phone voice mail system to come on, it still sends out a signal from her phone." Hobbes shot Darien a quick glance, "That's how Monroe and I found you that day."  
  
"She'll answer, she always does," Tom said with certainty.   
  
"And you know this because?" Darien asked looking at Tom quizzically.  
  
"I know her." Tom had answered Darien with a raised brow.   
  
Hobbes held up his hand, "Whoa, got it!"  
  
Everyone quickly bent down to listen to Hobbes. "Well, where is she?" Darien asked.  
  
"Hold on don't rush the genius at work here. I need to triangulate her position now…and…she's…to our west about 35 yards."  
  
Darien clapped his hands together, "Good job, Hobbes."  
  
Hobbes looked up at Tom, "Okay, I need you to drive and I'll tell where to go." Tom nodded and jumped in the driver's seat and followed Hobbes directions.  
  
His heart pounded so hard in his chest as he ran he thought it would burst from his chest. It reminded him of that line in 'Moby Dick': If his chest had been a canon he would have burst his hot heart's shell upon it. But in this case, he felt more like the whale than Ahab. He was the one being hunted and not the hunter, or was he both. The prey and the hunter all rolled into one bottomless pit of madness. He ran to hide from the monster that chased him, basically he was running from himself. He knew that it was no-win situation.   
  
An endless eerie maze was his cell now. With each turn he hoped to see the light that would mean escape from this nightmare. At times he saw himself in his own perspective and at other moments, he swore he could see through the eyes of the creature. He knew it was all just a dream and that when his body woke; it would be the eyes of the creature he looked through. But he had to try, try to regain some sense of control during that very first moment of awareness after waking up. Now he wished he had taken Psycology.   
  
He kept running around corners trying to find that break in the wall. Trying to escape that maze like a lab rat…lab rat…that's what he was now, a lab rat running from a psychopathic lab rat, the monster that they let him become. He stopped running, it was useless anyway, he could run for all eternity and still he would get caught. So this is hell. The psycho always knew where he was because he was also that psycho. How do you escape from yourself? "If mild mannered Clark Kent could defeat the evil Superman, then why can't I? Where's kryptonite when you need it or in my case, counteragent?" Ed, the Sane Ed leaned up against the wall and slowly sank to the floor, "Why did they do this to me?"  
  
"Because I'm better than you, bro."  
  
Ed looked up into the monster's eyes, red sclera and silver irises that glowed in the darkness of the shadows. The face was still his, but at the same time, it wasn't. It was the face of a stranger that stared back at him with deadly intent.   
  
"You can't kill me, you do realize that," Ed said to Psycho Ed…Psycho Ed…suddenly he could hear the theme from "Psycho" playing, but he paid no attention to it. He watched as Psycho Ed paced back and forth in front of him with the look of a cat who had cornered a mouse.  
  
Ed's dream perspective changed and he found himself staring at Sane Ed on the floor, "I don't really need you and I'm pretty sure I can kill you. Having your good natured conscious around is not in my plan. This is who you are now and there's nothing you can do about it." He lunged for his prey and got pleasure from the beautiful screams that came from Sane Ed. "Can you taste blood in your dreams?" Pyscho Ed mused as he punched Sane Ed.  
  
Ed woke up and felt wetness on his lips. His tongue darted out and ran slowly along his bottom lip, blood. How did he get a bloody lip? He smiled, he had punched Sane Ed in his dream, but his hands were still handcuffed. Maybe he just bit his lip while dreaming. Ed looked up at the ceiling, "I'm the one in control and boy, am I going to have some fun." Ed's menacing laughter filled his room. He would kill the people who tortured him and then he would escape, but first he needed to bring down the security system. 'Tara…oh yeah, Tara, I'll use her to escape, then I'll play with her and decide whether or not to kill her. It will all depend on how well she likes to play my games,' Ed thought to himself as he rolled over to make his plans.  
  
Tom had parked the van in front of looked like a warehouse or a garage for large vehicles. Darien had gone in alone a few minutes ago to assess the situation. He had put on the knit cap with a little turtle on the front he had worn on a mission one time. Darcy had commented on how cute it was and the men had rolled their eyes. Hobbes had said that the little turtle was actually a camera and they would be able to see what Darien sees. He had also worn an ear piece with a microphone so he could stay in constant communication.   
  
Once they all had an idea of what they were up against, then Hobbes and Tom would follow to give Darien back up. Mark and Darcy had learned how to operate the surveillance equipment while on the long road trip and were ready to go when Hobbes and Tom went in.  
  
Hobbes watched anxiously as Darien made his way through the building and had come upon a hidden elevator. Hobbes had warned him to be careful and watched the monitor as Darien walked into the elevator.   
  
"This is like 'Independence Day' here, Hobbes," Darien retorted.  
  
"Yeah, well, just keep your eyes open," Hobbes answered back.  
  
The door opened and Darien cautiously stepped into the open area. Some guards turned to see who had come down the elevator but they didn't see anyone. "Must be checking the elevator," one guard retorted.  
  
Darien walked past them. He spent nearly thirty minutes checking one area and found nothing. He tried to go through a set of double doors but they were locked. There was a control box off the right side, "I got a feeling what we're looking for is in here."  
  
"How is he going to get in there?" Darcy asked.  
  
"You heard of skeleton keys?" Hobbes watched as Darcy nodded, "We've got skeleton cards. Seems like Walter's agency has better toys then we do, watch."  
  
Darien pulled out a card and shook the quicksilver off of it. He gently slipped it in and waited. "What's he doing?" Mark asked as Hobbes started a program for the card that Darien used.  
  
"Ah, this is one of those toys that no one is supposed to know exists. It has a small chip inside that will go through and find us a registered ID with the proper authorization code. Once it does, the doors will open."  
  
Darien heard the sound of the buzzer and then the doors unlocked. He grabbed the card, quicksilvered it and put it back in his pocket. This particular area did not have as many people, very few to be exact. For ten minutes all Darien saw were just a few guards.   
  
Darien turned a corner and stopped. He looked around. "Fawkes, what is it?" Hobbes asked.  
  
"I sense a human, but…" Darien's voice trailed off.  
  
"But what?" Hobbes asked as he looked at Tom apprehensively.   
  
"I'm not sure, hang on, I'm gonna check it out."  
  
"Fawkes, don't do anything stupid."  
  
Darien walked slowly down the hall, he had sensed a human presence that he thought he recognized, but it wasn't the same. He stopped at the door with the mechanical lock, he sensed some other humans coming and quickly stepped aside, "Someone's coming, just hold on, I think I found something here."  
  
Hobbes shot Tom a hopeful look. Everyone became silent as they took in a deep breath.  
  
Darien went inside the room next door so they wouldn't feel the temperature change. He looked around and saw a large window; he was in an observation room. "Now where have I seen this before?" Through the window he saw a man lying on the bed with his back to the door. He was wearing dark blue scrubs and socks. The door opened and he saw a couple of guards enter the room. One of the men put down a tray on the floor next to the mattress. He then walked over and with his boot he shook the man, "Wake up, time for dinner."  
  
The man didn't respond he just rolled over and smiled. He sat up on the mattress with his knees up. There was a chain wrapped around his waist that connected to two sets of cuffs, around his wrists and another long chain that connected to the cuffs on his ankles. He was also wearing dark swimming goggles.  
  
Darien stepped back. "Ed!?!" The invisibility hid the stunned look on his face. Ed was alive and now he was in chains like some criminal in a maximum prison. Darien didn't need to see in color to understand why they had taken such drastic steps with Ed. Darien could sense it. Ed was in stage five madness. He started to fill with rage when he sensed someone just outside the door. He turned in the direction of the door, it was a dominant.  
  
"Oh my God, Ed is alive," Darcy exclaimed when she saw his image on the monitor. Tom's posture straightened as he saw his friend. Mark took in a deep breath and then let out slowly. "What have they done to him?" Darcy asked.  
  
"My guess, he's quicksilver nutso." Hobbes stated.  
  
"Well, he's not in stage four. What stage could he be in if they have him secured like that?" Tom asked.  
  
"Stage five, see…" Hobbes pointed to the screen, "His eyes are covered. If it's anything like Fawkes' they're probably silver."  
  
"Silver?" Mark asked as he looked at the screen. He wondered what state Ed was in if they were taking such drastic precautions.  
  
"How is Darien going to get him out of there like that and did you bring counteragent for Ed?" Darcy asked.  
  
Hobbes looked at her and shook his head, "No, we didn't get counteragent for stage five. Start praying that they have some." Hobbes sent Eberts an update.  
  
Tara was outside when she picked up the electrical impulses of a dominant male. She furrowed her brow in confusion, 'Since when did another dominant join us?' she thought to herself as she walked in Ed's room and looked towards the observation room. Darien sensed her and turned on the speaker so he could hear what was being said.   
  
One of the guards looked at her oddly, "Everything okay, doctor?"  
  
"Oh, uhmm…yes, I'm fine, just in heavy thought," she said. "Before you let him eat I need to take some blood," she said as she walked over to Ed and kneeled down next to him. "Okay, Dr. Tate, you know the routine," she said as GI Joe released his wrist. She turned his wrist. She removed the bandage around his wrist and took a quick glance at this tattoo. From what she could tell there were five segments silver. He was halfway.  
  
Ed glanced at her, "Five more to go and then the party really starts doesn't it?"   
  
"Oh crap," Hobbes said in reaction to what he heard Ed say.  
  
"What is it?" Darcy asked.  
  
"If he goes permanent, there's no turning him back," Hobbes said dolefully as he ran his hands over his face.   
  
Eberts looked at his screen in shock. "What is it, Eberts?" The Official asked with concern.  
  
"It's from Agent Hobbes, they're inside and Agent Fawkes has located Dr. Tate…" Eberts looked at the two men, "…alive." Walter and Charlie gazed at each other stunned.  
  
"What do you mean?" Tara rubbed the injection site with alcohol.  
  
"They're just waiting for me to go permanent so they would have a legitimate excuse to harvest the gland. But the big question is, do I go permanently insane or not? The ultimate 'To be or not to be?' isn't it?" Ed watched as the needle went into his arm and his blood filled up the three vials, "Do I get a lollipop or something else to lick?" Ed winked at Tara.  
  
She smiled at him and put a band aid on his arm, "You're all set. Enjoy your dinner."  
  
"Only if I had company like you, sweetheart, and not these 'posers'," Ed said as he glared at the two guards.  
  
  
  
Hobbes shook his head, "No, Ed, do not go there, my friend."   
  
"'Posers'?" Mark asked.  
  
"'Poser' is surf slang for someone who dresses the part. You know, someone who dresses like a surfer but really isn't. Basically Ed was saying that they're not real soldiers," Hobbes said as he went back to listening through Darien's earpiece.   
  
The two men stood guard over Ed and they weren't the only ones watching him. Two other guards were in the security room watching him on the monitor. They had come to ignore his insults and just let him be, for now. But the one Ed called GI Joe couldn't wait to get permission to teach him some manners.  
  
Tara decided to check in the observation room to introduce herself. The dominant inside was sure to know about her as well. She opened the door and gazed around quickly but didn't see anyone. 'Odd, I know there's someone…Darien?' She said in her mind.  
  
'You say anything and you'll be dead before you know it.'  
  
The warning echoed in her mind. It was Darien Fawkes, the one that her father told her about. "Just keep quiet and follow me. I know who you are and what you can do, so just read my mind." Tara left the room with Darien following her.  
  
'I won't bother with details on how you know about me, but I do want to know about Ed.'  
  
'Okay, first off my name is Tara Marsh. How I got here I'll explain later, but right now, we've got to get Ed counteragent before his tattoo turns all silver.'  
  
'So he will go permanent?' Darien asked.  
  
'Yes, he will and then they will train him to be an assassin. In fact, his training has already started, he just doesn't know it yet. They also extracted quicksilver from him, something to do with back packs.' She felt a cold hand grip her arm tightly.  
  
'What back packs?' Darien asked angrily.   
  
She continued to walk and tried to look as if nothing was happening, 'Look I don't know exactly, I just overheard Ms. Welsh talking about it with Dr. Alvarez, they're still testing the back packs.'  
  
'Who are Ms. Welsh and Dr. Alvarez?'  
  
'Ms. Welsh is the one better known as the Lady.'  
  
'Ah…so that's the bitch's name,' Darien said with hatred. 'So, you do have stage five counteragent for Ed.'  
  
'Yes, we got it from the information that was taken from Arnaud's computer.'  
  
Darien thought back to the shoot out at Arnaud's place. 'So those were government agents that day at Arnie's place.'  
  
'I don't know anything about that.' Tara walked into the lab, 'Okay, look, I can't talk for a few minutes, so just hold tight and stay with me.' She put the marked vials down and called one of the lab techs to come over. "Here are the newest samples, do all the workup and have it brought to my office. I'll be back in about two hours."  
  
"Yes, ma'am." The tech took the vials and went to work on them.  
  
Darien looked around the lab. He saw the table with the straps, the chair and other pieces of equipment. His anger started to rise again as he thought of what these people put Ed through. He had to fight back the sudden urge to pick up a chair and smash the place. The sound of Tara's voice snapped him back to reality.  
  
"Hey, Fawkes, what's going on? What is the chick saying?" Hobbes asked.  
  
Darien tried to find a quiet place so he could talk. "I'll tell you in a sec…just hold on."  
  
"Great," Hobbes looked at Tom, Mark and Darcy, "How come none of you have ESP?"  
  
Tom, Darcy and Mark shrugged their shoulders. Hobbes shot them a glare and went back to his job.  
  
'Okay, let's go.' Tara walked out of the lab and headed for the ladies room. She sensed that no one else was in there and she walked into one of the larger stalls, 'Okay, let me see you.'  
  
'I'm not sure that's a good idea.'  
  
"There are no cameras in here, only in our rooms, hallways and the labs," she waited a few minutes and saw a man appear in a burst of silvery flakes. Her eyes widened and she put her hand up to his cheek, "Wow, incredible, the resemblance."  
  
"Well, that's how I became a dominant, a case of mistaken identity. The serum I got was meant for Ed. With that explanation aside now …who the hell are you?"  
  
Tara thought for a moment, she knew that lying to him would be pointless and if she wanted him to trust her, she would tell him everything. She exhaled deeply and said, "My father is Lewis."  
  
Back in the van, Hobbes, Tom, Darcy and Mark stared at one another. "Be careful, Fawkes," Hobbes replied.  
  
Darien glared at her, his eyes immediately turned black. He grabbed her throat, "What do you want with Ed?"  
  
She gasped at the sudden change in eye color, it caught her completely off guard and his hand was around her neck before she could react, "I'm not here for Ed. I didn't know he had a gland until they brought him in." She felt the grip become tighter around her throat. "Please, I want to help, Ed."  
  
Darien stared at her and he felt that she was telling the truth. He let her go, "Why?"  
  
She rubbed her neck, "Because I'm starting to believe that the co-existence movement is right."  
  
"I have a hard time believing that a daughter of Lewis would want to help a human let alone believe in co-existence. Tell me, what are you doing here if it wasn't for Ed?"  
  
"I was sent here to spy on the humans, to find out what they were planning. We know that the genogenesis therapy that Ed was developing has been perfected by the human scientists. My father wanted me to find out how far along they were in finding a delivery system for it. I was supposed to find out all I could and also assassinate the woman."  
  
Darien cocked his head to one side, "Okay, I'll go along with that last part, yeah, in fact I may even help you. What else?"  
  
"I know that Ed was never supposed to have the gland implanted in his head. Ed was only supposed to get close enough to the gland to help in developing a new gland prototype. She was behind it all; she's the one that set Ed up from the very beginning."  
  
Tom looked at Hobbes, "You guys were right."  
  
"I told the fat man and Fawkes that this would turn out bad," Hobbes commented as he listened and watched.   
  
Darien looked at Tara, "Go on."  
  
"The plan had always been to fake Ed's death even if he didn't have the gland implanted. She had ordered Dr. Attwood to harvest the gland but you brought back the counteragent in time. She was furious, but then she decided to go ahead with her original plan. Ed was brought here for testing and will eventually be trained. I think his first target is my father or the High Council."  
  
"What does all this have to do with you?" Darien asked her.  
  
"I'm a scientist, Darien, my field of expertise is cloning."  
  
Darien stood hypnotized. "She does want to clone the gland like Chrysalis did," he stated in disbelief.  
  
"Yes, they either want to have an invisible army or mass produce quicksilver." Darien's glare cut her off. "What is it?"  
  
He approached her again, "Lewis had wanted to clone my gland."  
  
"No, you don't think that I would take Ed out of here and turn him over to my father?"  
  
"You got that right, sister, that's exactly what I'm thinking. What an opportunity for you, you kill the Lady, destroy any work done on Ed's research. Then who drops into your lap, Ed Tate with his very own gland that you can clone yourself," Darien said to her accusingly.   
  
"I'm telling you the truth and you of all people should know that," she looked at him, "I have no intentions on letting my father know about Ed, but I can't let them go through with the genogenesis therapy." She put her hand on his, "You have to trust me on this if you want to get Ed out alive."  
  
"Do you have a plan?" Darien looked at her.  
  
"Now that you're here, yes, follow me," she walked out of the bathroom with Darien right behind her, the silver coating covering him as he left the bathroom.  
  
Tara showed him where the ammunitions closet was located. "The next shift change is at 16 hundred hours…"  
  
"What is that in regular time?"  
  
She turned to look at the direction the disembodied voice came from, "You don't know?"  
  
"No."  
  
"It means four o'clock."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Make mental note to self: Teach Fawkes military time," Hobbes said out loud to no one in particular. Tom chuckled.  
  
"Look, talk to me in my mind okay?"   
  
'So, what's your plan?'  
  
'We need to destroy the main computers and the security room. Can you set charges?'  
  
Darien rolled his eyes, 'Yes, I can set charges.'  
  
'Good, all the equipment you'll need is in there.'  
  
'Wait, they have explosives in there?'  
  
'Yes, just in case they need to do a quick evacuation, nothing gets left behind. While you set the charges, I'm going to download all that I can from the main computers. Okay, follow me,' Tara turned down a hall.   
  
Darien looked around, the walls were concrete and the underground building resembled a bunker of some kind. 'Some set up here,' Darien noted.  
  
'I don't know how you were able to get in, but getting out won't be easy. Ed is under surveillance 24/7 by cameras. If he quicksilvers in his room or where ever he might be, alarms go off and the cameras will switch to thermal imaging. The temperature gauges are only activated in his immediate location. I'm just glad you didn't walk into his room, or else we would not be having this conversation.'  
  
'So that's why we need to take out the security room, to prevent the thermal imaging, smart move.'  
  
'Exactly, with the chaos of the explosions, we might be able to slip Ed out, but it'll be tricky.'  
  
'We'll get him out, count on it,' Darien said as he followed Tara down the hall.   
  
She had showed him where the security room and the main computers were. After that, she went back to her computer and started to get to work on downloading the information. She had inserted a disk to run a program to keep the main computer busy. She hoped that Darien was doing well with setting the charges. She had five more minutes left when she realized she needed to find the counteragent. Tara leaped from her chair and went to the medicine cabinet containing the counteragent. She punched in the combination and opened the door. Knowing that they were watching her, she held up another vial and turned so that only her right side was visible. With her left hand, she placed the vial of counteragent in her pocket. She closed the door and walked away. All she needed now was to get a syringe and she was ready.   
  
Tara moved about the lab without anyone noticing anything unusual. Being a trained Chameleon made that part easy. She sat back down at her desk and acted as if she was running some kind of test with the vial that she took. Her download was complete and she removed the disk. She had used several disks and kept them together. With all the tests they ran on Ed and what they put him through to get this information she wasn't about to let it all be in vain. She knew it was valuable and knew that Ed could use it to either help him find a way to get it out and or to cure the madness. She checked her watch again. It was time.  
  
Ed was about to push his empty dinner plate away from him when an explosion rocked the walls. Ed made his move. In one quick move he grabbed the cattle prod and pushed it up against the kidney of GI Joe sending a jolt of searing pain through his body. The second guard barely had time to react as Ed hit him in the solar plexus area and then over his head with the baton. He fell to the floor in a heap and didn't move. Ed didn't hear any alarms yet and he knew there wasn't much time. He searched the guard and found the keys. The chains were off and Ed picked up the baton. GI Joe started to come around. Ed removed the goggles and glared at him, "Hey, Joe, it's time to put out that fire."  
  
Ed shocked him with the cattle prod repeatedly until he was nearly unconscious. Ed took the gun belt and strapped it around his own waist. With one hand Ed lifted the dazed soldier by his shirt and held up the cattle prod over his head, "Good night," the cattle prod came down on the head of GI Joe. Ed smiled as blood leaked from the man's head and coated the floor, "One down, two to go." All he needed to do now was to figure out how to get out of the room. As he approached the door, he heard another explosion. The lights flickered and went out. The emergency generator came on but he heard the door unlock, he smiled, "The security system must be down, just what the doctor ordered," he pushed the door opened, quicksilvered and ran out of the room.  
  
TBC…. 


	22. Chapter 22

WARNING: There's some bad language up ahead, some scenes of violence and a near rape is hinted at. This is as dark as the fic gets.  
  
Chapter 22  
  
Hobbes looked at Tom as he checked the clip in his gun, "Ready?"  
  
"Let's go," replied Tom as he tucked the thermal glasses in the pocket on his fatigue style uniform.  
  
Darcy and Mark gave the two men hopeful glances. "Be careful," Darcy remarked in a serious but nervous tone.   
  
Hobbes and Tom nodded and exited the van. Darcy and Mark turned to monitor Darien's movements and the situation inside the underground compound.  
  
The Official and Walter stood behind Eberts and glanced over his shoulders. "Agents Hobbes and Daniels are entering the building now." Walter glanced at the Official who didn't look away from the monitor but merely let out a deep throated sigh.  
  
Darien met Tara in the hallway leading to Ed's room. The emergency lights were their lighthouse in the dark, but instead of warning of danger, it led them straight to it. When they turned the corner, they both stopped. Tara bumped into Darien and let out a startled grunt, "Umphh…Hey, remember I can't see you."  
  
"Sorry," the disembodied voice replied. "I seem to do that from time to time." Darien paused, "I think we have a problem."  
  
"Yeah, I don't sense him."  
  
Darien approached the room cautiously even though he sensed no presence, human or dominant. The door to Ed's room was open. "This isn't right, the door closes on its own," Tara replied.  
  
Darien looked down, "Not if it's propped open. Look down at the floor."  
  
"Oh no," Tara said as she spotted the bloody hand. Darien pushed the door open to reveal a body of a guard. The other one he spotted towards the mattress where Ed slept. "This one is dead, I guess he tried to get out and find help."  
  
"Well, I think this one is dead too or he's gonna wish he was when he wakes up," Darien's voice sounded solemn. Ed was apparently lose and taking care of business. Darien shook his head, "They made their bed and now they're lying in it."  
  
Tara checked the second guard and recognized him, "He is dead and this one pretty much was a thorn in Ed's side. He called him GI Joe."  
  
"Ed's getting revenge on the people who tortured him. Who else would he go after?" Darien said as he let the quicksilver flake off.   
  
Tara thought for a moment, "There are a number of people he would go after but I would say Dr. Alvarez and Ms. Welsh would be on the top of his list."  
  
"Hobbes?" Darien spoke into the microphone.  
  
"We're in, Fawkes."  
  
"Heads up, man, the big Kahuna is on the loose and he's full blown psycho. I've got two dead bodies here. I think I know who he's after next, I'm gonna see if I can stop him."  
  
"Copy that. Be careful." Hobbes turned to Tom, "Put the thermals on." Hobbes walked in front of Tom and mumbled, "Fat Man better give me a raise for this one. I gotta catch a wacko in the land of wackos."  
  
Dr. Alvarez was busy in the main pharmacology room getting what he needed to transport Ed out. He had called for a guard to come and help him sedate Ed. When the door opened and then closed he didn't bother to look up, "Glad you're here…"  
  
"I'm not so sure about that."  
  
Dr. Alvarez turned around and gasped at the sight before him. "How?"  
  
Ed approached him slowly, "Well, I really don't think GI Joe will be coming to your rescue or that poor hack outside." Ed knocked a tray off the counter and smiled vindictively, "You know, they say you reap what you sow."   
  
Dr. Alvarez looked around for something to use as a weapon. He picked up a glass jar and smashed it. Ed laughed, "You're gonna use that against me, that's really pathetic." Ed let the quicksilver flow and disappeared, "How the hell are you supposed to use that if you can't see me? Not so tough are you with the lab rat loose are you. Oh it was one thing having me strapped down, but what you gonna do now, doc?" Ed cornered Dr. Alvarez, "It's harvest time, doc, time for you to reap the fruits of your labor." He rushed at Dr. Alvarez and knocked the broken jar from his hand.   
  
Ed landed a few solid punches before he let the quicksilver burst from his body. He leered down at his wounded prey as he stood with his feet on either side of the frightened man. Ed rested his hands on bent knees. "This is like letting the hunter in the cage with the animal."  
  
"Please, don't do this…you're…you're a doctor…"  
  
Ed laughed, "Yeah, and so are you but you weren't exactly exhibiting great bed side manner and neither will I." Ed grabbed the quivering man by his shirt and hauled him to his feet.   
  
Dr. Alvarez stood a good five inches shorter than Ed. He valiantly punched Ed in the face but it had no effect. Ed sneered and roughly turned him around and proceeded to smash his head into the glass cabinet doors. Blood spurted out of the man's head splattering on the counter and what was left of the cabinets. Glass cut into the man's skin and tore away parts of his flesh as Ed continued to use his head as a battering ram. By the time Ed was done, all the doors had been smashed in the tiny room. He let the blood soaked body fall to the floor in a mangled heap at his feet. He looked down upon his victim with satisfaction as his expression, "Two down, one to go," Ed quicksilvered and walked confidently out of the room.  
  
Claire and Sloan walked into the silent Keep. Claire had wanted to come in for a moment to give a report to the Official. Plus she knew that she would have to come in eventually and get back to work. She knew that Ed would want her to. It seemed like ages ago when Darien came in with the news that changed that her life. She looked at the counteragent chair where just last week, Ed was laying as she implanted the monitor. She went to a table and opened the drawer to put her things away when an odd expression changed her appearance from sorrow to confusion.  
  
"What is it, Claire?" Sloan asked as she walked towards Claire.  
  
"This is odd, very odd," Claire held up a device that resembled a tricorder from Star Trek. There was a noticeable red blinking light on it.   
  
"What is that?"  
  
"It's a tracking device and a mobile monitor actually. I designed it for Ed."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
Claire put her left hand on her hip as she continued to hold the device. "There were times when Darien went quicksilver mad and we had to track him down or rush to get him counteragent. This would prevent that if Ed was on a mission. I could monitor him from anywhere. It works like a GPS so it does have a long range. But it also keeps track of the build up of toxin. When Ed is invisible he can't see in color so it would be hard for him to see his tattoo clearly. This was supposed to aid us in making sure Ed didn't go into quicksilver madness so we could get counteragent to him in time."  
  
"That's the coolest thing I've seen, and I've seen a lot. Did Ed know about this?"  
  
"No, I never got a chance to tell him. In fact, I didn't know how to tell him. I'm the only who knew about it. I didn't want the Official or the Keeper spying on Ed. I was afraid that they would misuse it for their own personal agenda. I was only going to tell Darien and Bobby about it."  
  
"So, why is the light blinking?"  
  
"That's what is intriguing, this is telling me that the toxin in Ed's blood is at a dangerous level, like as if he was in stage five," Claire scratched her head. This was odd and she had no explanation for the reading.  
  
"Maybe a short circuit or something?"   
  
"I suppose, but it should only come on when the toxin levels reach a critical point. It's the monitor I implanted in Ed that activated this," Claire held up the monitor in her hand, "It's like his monitor is sending a signal." Claire gave Sloan a curious look.  
  
"That's impossible, his Keeper would have removed it before the cremation," Sloan said.  
  
Claire thought for a moment until the realization hit, "Sloan, he never gave it back to me."  
  
Both ladies paused for a moment and stared at the device in Claire's hand. "So, where is the monitor that was in Ed?" Sloan asked.  
  
"That is a very good question."  
  
Darien discovered the slumped body of a guard near a door. They stared at each other and then gazed at the door. "I don't sense anybody," Tara said as Darien slowly opened the door. Tara peeked inside, her hand quickly went up to her mouth, "Oh no, not again!"  
  
Darien stared at the blood stained counters and cabinets, he turned to look at Tara, "Who was that guy?"  
  
"That was Dr. Alvarez. Ed did this, I'm sure of it," she said as turned her gaze away from the violent scene. Darien knelt down and ran his hand across the floor. He lifted his hand to reveal shimmering flakes on it. "What's that?" Tara asked as she tried not to stare at the bloody remains of Dr. Alvarez.  
  
"Quicksilver flakes, they take 24 hours to dissolve. You're right, Ed was here," Darien stood up as he dusted his hands to remove the flakes.  
  
Darcy shook her head, "My God." It was hard for her to believe that Ed could be responsible for such a violent attack on a human being.  
  
"I would never have thought that Ed could do something like this," Mark replied as he was just as shocked, "I expect this from a dominant or a psychotic killer, but not Ed."  
  
Darcy turned to Mark, "It's the gland, Mark, Ed would never do this."  
  
"Will he remember any of this?"  
  
"From what Darien told me, yes he will."  
  
"Hobbes," Darien said as they exited the room.  
  
"Yeah, Fawkes."  
  
"We found two more bodies, Ed is getting his revenge and is killing anyone who gets in his way," Darien said despondently as he followed Tara towards the Lady's room.  
  
"We've got our thermals on and a dart gun ready. We'll catch him."  
  
"Hobbes, Ed is dangerous…" Darien paused thinking back to the first conversation he and Ed had. What he was about to tell Hobbes to do was hard and he found himself choking on the words, but he had promised Ed. "…Do what you need to do to stop him…"  
  
"No, Fawkes I won't go that far," Hobbes stared at Tom. "I helped you and we can help Ed too."  
  
"Look, he might be permanent by now. We both know it's the only way…just make sure the gland gets destroyed and Ed doesn't suffer." Darien couldn't believe that he may have been so close to saving Ed and bringing him home alive, but only to lose him in the end.  
  
"Understand, Fawkes." Hobbes held up his tranq gun, "I'll use this first. Then I'll check his tattoo and if it's all silver…"  
  
Tom stopped him, "Let me do it. He's my friend and I think he would want it this way."  
  
Hobbes patted Tom his back and gave him a half hearted smile. Hobbes understood about the friendship between Ed and Tom. His friendship with Darien didn't exactly start off in the right direction either. Like Ed and Tom, he and Darien had to work through the trust part of their partnership. "Let's go find him before he goes permanent wacko," Hobbes stated.   
  
Tom nodded. He wanted more than anything to find Ed before it was too late. Through the past five years he and Ed had become like brothers and it took a lot of hard work. These past few days was hard to imagine life in the lab without Ed. When he walked in, Ed was either going over a file with his feet up on his desk, peering into a microscope, doing an autopsy or some other lab experiment with such tenacity he's ever seen in a human. He knew that death was inevitable for everyone sooner or later, but if it was possible to have Ed around for a little while longer, then he was going to find him to bring him back safe and sound.  
  
Claire and Sloan entered the Official's office and were just as surprised as they were. Eberts had just announced, "Dr. Tate has killed two more people," when the ladies walked in on them. Eberts leapt from his computer and tried in vain to hide the monitor. "What is going on here?" Claire asked.  
  
"I uh…we uh…" Eberts looked down at the floor in defeat. Claire placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head to one side, "What is this about Dr. Tate? There was only one that I know of that you two would be interested in." Anger was Claire's expression as she glared at the Official and then at Walter.  
  
"Maybe you two should sit down," Walter motioned for the ladies to have a seat. He straightened his posture as he let out a sigh. "Agents Fawkes, Hobbes and Daniels are on a mission and they're accompanied by Mark and Darcy. They're in Las Vegas more specifically, Area 51."  
  
"Area 51?" Sloan asked in a half comical tone.  
  
"What are they doing at Area 51?" Claire asked more seriously.  
  
Walter looked at the Official and then to Eberts. He returned his gaze to the two ladies who now sat with their arms folded across their chests. "They're looking for Ed," Walter just came out with it.  
  
Sloan and Claire looked at each other in shock. "Did you say they're looking for…Ed?" Claire asked as she stood up.  
  
"Yes…Claire, Sloan, Ed's alive." Walter announced.  
  
Claire didn't know what to think, "Is this some sort of joke?" She walked up to the Official, "This had better not be one of your great plans."  
  
"Walter, this isn't one of yours is it?" Sloan asked.  
  
"No, it's not. Believe me, I would never put you or Ed's family through something like this. Like you, we thought Ed was dead…until awhile ago. Darien did find Ed…"  
  
"I sense a 'but' here," Sloan said as she rose to her feet.  
  
"Ed's gone into stage five madness and they're trying to track him down," Walter said as he motioned for the ladies to join them. Eberts sat back down at his computer.  
  
Claire put her hands to her face, "Okay, will someone please explain to me what is going on here."  
  
"I'll fill you in later, but for now, we need to pray that Ed can be found before he goes permanent."  
  
Claire looked at Walter, "You're telling me the truth aren't you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Claire, what about that device you were showing me?" Sloan whispered in her ear.  
  
"Bloody hell! That's why it was activated," Claire exclaimed and then rushed from the room.  
  
"What is she talking about?" The Official asked.  
  
"Something that might help them find Ed," Sloan replied.  
  
The door opened and then closed. The Lady didn't even look up as she hurriedly tried to pack her things, "I'm almost done." She looked up when no one answered. She looked around the room and there was no one there. Suddenly a chair slid across the floor. She backed up to the wall and looked at her desk frantically. She tried to reach for the phone but it was ripped from her hand and flew across the room. Next, she tried for her desk to pull out a gun, but the drawer was slammed shut on her hand, "AUGGGHHH!!!" She cried out and then her head was violently pulled back by her hair.  
  
"Did you know that fear has a smell?" The disembodied voice said softly in her ear.  
  
"Dr. Tate…" Her head was quickly forced down and slammed onto the top of her desk. Blood oozed from the wound and her head was forced back again, "Please…" she pleaded.  
  
Ed appeared in burst of silver flakes, he glared at her, "Please? Now this is an interesting twist isn't it? My pleas went unanswered, so why should I answer yours?"  
  
She never really saw how Ed's eyes appeared in stage five madness, until now. The sight of his eyes caused her to gasp in horror, "Oh my God!"  
  
Ed's lips curved in a malevolent smile, "God? You? I don't buy that. Just thought before I kill you that you see what you helped create."  
  
"You won't get out of here alive," she said hoping to change his mind. She gazed into the madman's face. There was no longer a hint of the man Ed Tate used to be. It was still his face but it was also the face of an uncontrolled killer. His hands, face and clothes spotted and smeared in blood that obviously belonged to an earlier prey or more. She was filled with fear knowing full well that Ed had no sense of remorse.  
  
Ed laughed, "Now that's the funniest thing you've said since I'm already dead. But since you mention it, I guess I'll just have to take you with me." Ed pulled on her hair harder causing her to cry out in pain. He held her hands firmly behind her back with his other hand. "You've been a thorn in our side for years, time to end this." He had tasted blood and now he craved more of it, especially hers.  
  
"Dr. Tate, I can get you out of here," she pleaded.  
  
"Dr. Ed Tate is dead. You might as well call me Edward Hyde." Ed positioned her so he could snap her neck. He leaned down with his mouth next to her ear and whispered with a voice that sounded more like a deep growl, "I wish I had time to play like a cat would with a mouse," his hand moved up her thigh to give her a hint of what he had in mind.   
  
She squirmed in his grip, "Please, don't…"  
  
His hand shot back quickly back up to her head, "Maybe I won't kill you just yet. You've screwed with me for years, it's time you learn what it's like to be screwed with and I promise, I'll be anything but gentle," Ed hissed in her ear as he pressed up against her.  
  
As Tara and Darien neared the Lady's office, they sensed the presence behind the door of two humans. "Two humans and one of them is Ed," Darien said. The overwhelming anger and desire was too strong and could only come from Ed.  
  
"I sense that too." Tara asked.  
  
Darien burst through the door just in time to see Ed standing behind the Lady. Ed looked up and rolled his eyes, "Damn! Just when things were about to get exciting, at least for me anyway."  
  
Darien saw his eyes, "Oh crap." He approached Ed cautiously with his hands on his hips. He noticed the gun belt wrapped around Ed's waist, "Ed, you don't want to do this."  
  
Ed sneered at Darien, "Why the hell not? She's f*cked with me for years, she deserves this."  
  
"Not like this, come on, let her go and we'll do this right." Darien inched closer. He noticed the fear on the Lady's face and for a moment it excited his dominant senses.  
  
The Lady saw Darien approach and a pain filled plea escaped her lips, "Help me." She noticed his eyes and her fear level rose.   
  
Ed squared his shoulders and shook his head in agreement. He crossed one arm around her neck and pulled her head to one side, "You're right, Darien, we do need to do this right."  
  
"Ed, NO!!!" Darien yelled.  
  
The sounds of bone cracking filled the room as Ed snapped her neck just as Darien was about to rush towards him. Both Darien and Tara stood there staring at Ed as he let the Lady's body fall to the floor. "You won't be tormenting me anymore," Ed said coldly.  
  
"Oh God, Ed, what did you do?" Darien said as he stared down at the body resting at Ed's blood stained sock covered feet. He looked into Ed's face, it wasn't the same Ed that he knew. He had gone on a stage five killing spree and if he didn't stop him, Ed would certainly kill more people. His thoughts immediately went to Hobbes and Tom. Ed would certainly go after them. He and Tara had to put an end to Ed's so called fun.  
  
"I killed the wicked witch!" Ed started to sing,  
  
"Ding Dong! The witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!  
  
Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.  
  
Wake up, you sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.  
  
Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead. She's gone where the goblins go,  
  
Below, below, below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.  
  
Ding Dong! The merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.  
  
Let them know  
  
The Wicked Witch is dead!"  
  
Darien and Tara watched him. "He's really enjoying himself isn't he?" Tara said.  
  
"Yeah, we need to stop him before he sings another chorus." Darien glanced at Tara quickly, "I'll catch him and you give him the counteragent."  
  
Darien went around the other side of the desk as Tara moved slowly in the opposite direction. Ed caught sight of their movements. "I don't think so, I'm not going back," Ed said as he moved away from Darien.  
  
"What about Claire?" Darien asked.  
  
"I'm dead, it's best if she thinks of me that way. I don't think she'll like the person I've become."  
  
"But you're alive," Darien said trying to keep Ed distracted.  
  
"I'm no longer Ed Tate…" He approached Darien, "Darien, come with me…" an explosion was heard in the background. Ed didn't flinch, he continued as if nothing happened, "The world is our playground, man, we can do whatever we want. With your skills and my brains, we'll have it made."  
  
"I can't leave Darcy."  
  
Ed rolled his eyes, "Alright, so we take her with us." He glanced at Tara, "She can come with us too and she can be my mate. They won't find us. The world will be too busy with their petty issues."  
  
"Ed, listen to yourself, this isn't you," Darien said. "Claire won't like this new Ed, you're not the one she fell in love with, not the one she wanted to marry," from the corner of his eye he saw Tara getting closer.  
  
"Ah…she told you that, huh?" Ed saw Tara move in and he quicksilvered. He moved out of her way and she fell to the floor. "Tsk, tsk, that wasn't very nice, guess I'll have to punish you," Ed said as he kicked her.   
  
Darien quicksilvered and lunged for Ed. His arms wrapped around Ed and the forward momentum sent the two men crashing up against the wall. Ed moaned in pain, but quickly punched Darien in the face sending him to the ground.  
  
Tara got up and looked around the room, "Great. Darien, where are you?"  
  
Ed reached down and grabbed Darien by his shirt. "Nice punch," Darien remarked.  
  
"I'm not going back!" Ed yelled as he pushed Darien back to the floor. He started for the door but Darien stuck his hand out and tripped Ed. His arms whirled in the air to keep balance but to no avail. He fell forward and landed on the hard concrete floor. Tara heard the audible sound of something hitting the ground and then a groan. Her attention was taken away to just outside the doors were gunshots and shouts were heard. A human and a dominant approached quickly.  
  
"Darien, we need to get out of here," Tara said with anxiety in her voice. Tom and Hobbes ran into the room with guns drawn, they pointed them at Tara. She put her hands up, "I'm a…" she paused as she recognized Tom, "…friend…I know you. You're Tom Daniels."  
  
"Hey! Do you guys mind, introductions can wait, I need the counteragent here!" Darien's disembodied voice called out.  
  
"Let me go!" Ed's disembodied rang out.  
  
"What the…Fawkes? Tate?" Hobbes said as he gazed at the floor with his thermals on. He spotted the two green figures on the floor. "Whoa, this is freaky…which one are you Fawkes? You both look the same at the moment." Hobbes raised the dart gun.  
  
"I'm the one on top!" Darien called out as Ed struggled to get free.   
  
Hobbes eyes widened as the two green figures looked like one large massive lump on the floor, "Now I've got a mental image."  
  
"Hobbes! I need the counteragent!"  
  
Tara still held the syringe in her hand and she looked around. "Darien! I need to see a vein!"  
  
"Oh crap, I forgot. Damn it, Ed, will you stop!"  
  
"NO!!" Ed flicked his head back and hit Darien on his chin. Ed took the opportunity and rolled them over. Darien took an elbow to his kidney area and grunted in pain.  
  
"Who got hurt?" Tara asked.  
  
Ed stood up. His passage blocked by Hobbes and Tom. "Well, well, look who decided to join the party," Ed started to approach Hobbes, "Thermals huh, well I guess the whole invisible thing is mute." The quicksilver flaked off. Hobbes raised the dart gun and took aim.  
  
Claire rushed back into the Keep. She found the control and held it in her hand. With a glance at a picture of Ed on her desk, she spoke out loud in the dark lab, "Sorry, Ed, but I've got to do this." She pressed a button.  
  
Like a lightning bolt in his arm, pain shot up his arm and straight to his head. Ed cradled his head in his hands as he yelped in pain. He fell to his knees and slumped to the floor, barely conscious. Darien let the quicksilver flake off and he stood up clutching his side, "What the hell just happened?"  
  
Tara was Ed's side immediately and checked his vitals, "He's fine from what I can tell." She glanced up at Hobbes, "What did you do?"  
  
"Nothing," Hobbes said as he looked at his still loaded dart gun.  
  
"Give him the shot," Darien said to Tara.  
  
Ed opened his eyes to see the needle go into his arm and Tara push down on the plunger, "Damn," Ed said as he felt the counteragent go in. Darien watched as the scientist convulsed for a few moments and then passed out. He glanced at Ed's tattoo and looked up at Hobbes, "Eight are silver." Darien didn't need to say anymore, the tone of his voice was ominous enough. They had barely made it in time to keep Ed from going permanent.   
  
There was another explosion right outside the room. Darien covered Ed's body with his own. Parts of the ceiling came down on them, but no one was seriously injured.  
  
Hobbes looked at Darien as he moved his hand in the air to sweep the dust away, "How many of those things did you plant?"  
  
"It's the self-destruct actually. Remember, in case of an attack or raid, no information gets out," Tara said.  
  
"Frickin' nutso around here," Hobbes retorted as he stood up and shook the debris from his clothing.  
  
"Ahh...damn," Ed grunted as he came around. He glared at Darien spitefully and then at Tara, "That wasn't very nice."  
  
"His eyes are just too freaky," Hobbes retorted. Then he glanced at Darien's, "Yours aren't any better, my friend."  
  
Tara looked at Darien in shock as did Tom. Ed's eyes were still red and silver. "I know I had the right counteragent," Tara said as she pulled out the vial from her pocket.  
  
Darien sighed, "Don't worry, it takes awhile to kick in. Trust me, I know."   
  
"Uhmm…hate to break up this party, but we need to get moving." Hobbes said as he stood guard at the door. Tom was checking on the body lying on the floor. He stood up and went over to Hobbes.  
  
"She's dead," he announced with no emotion at all. "Her neck is broken," Tom said with a raised brow.  
  
Hobbes glanced over at Darien and watched as he shook his head. "It was Ed," Darien replied.  
  
Darien stood up and helped Ed to his feet, "Come on, bro, lets get you out of here before this whole place comes crashing down on us." Darien swung Ed's arm over his shoulder and helped him from the room. Ed was still feeling the effects of the electrical shock that had rendered him nearly unconscious. They moved down the hall towards the stairs as fast as they could. There were other people trying to get out so no one tried to stop them. They wanted to get out alive and didn't care about orders to stop anyone.  
  
Half way down the hall, Ed convulsed again and Darien helped him to the floor so he could ride it out. Ed panted heavily and he opened his eyes, "Darien?"  
  
Darien looked into the red eyes, "It's okay, Ed, I'm getting you outta here."  
  
Tara checked Ed's tattoo, it was all red now, "You're right, it did take awhile for it to kick in."  
  
Darien helped Ed back to his feet and half carried him down the hall. Tom had radioed to Darcy and Mark that they were on their way out.  
  
"Well, you guys better hurry cause everyone is going nuts out here," Darcy replied as Mark started up the van to get closer.   
  
"Darien, you might want to quicksilver you and Ed once you get outside. There's bound to be guards around," Tom said as they ran into the stairwell. They knew that the elevators were not working and they decided it was best to just run out to mingle in with the group trying to get out.  
  
They made it to the top and just as Darien was about to let the quicksilver flow, Ed slumped in his arms. If it wasn't for his arm draped over Darien's shoulder, he would have fallen to the floor. Now he hung like a puppet on one unbroken string. "Oh crap, not now, Ed." Darien lifted him up and carried him in his arms.  
  
"No more, it hurts too much," Ed moaned.  
  
"I got ya, bro," Darien said as the quicksilver flowed. He had a chance to look at Ed's eyes and they were only streaked with red now. Ed moaned again and then he slipped into unconsciousness. "Great, now you pass out, just couldn't wait 'til I got you to the van," Darien complained as he tried to run with Ed in his arms.   
  
Tom, Hobbes and Tara were well ahead of them when the building exploded. The three fell to the ground. Darcy and Mark had stepped out of the van and she screamed.  
  
Hobbes looked around, "Come on, Fawkes, we didn't go through all this for you and Ed to die for real."  
  
Tara yelled out and pointed as she spotted Darien and Ed reappearing. Hobbes and Tom ran towards them. Darien rolled off of Ed and moaned as he laid on his back. He opened his eyes and they were brown again.  
  
"Oh, Fawkes, don't go loopy on me now," Hobbes said as he helped his tall partner to his feet. Tom picked up Ed and carried him to the van.  
  
They raced to the van and no one noticed. They were all too busy trying to put out the fire. Darcy and Mark opened the doors as they reached the van. Ed was put in the back and Darien sat with him. Tara joined Mark in the back and he looked at her oddly. Tom jumped in the front as Hobbes stepped on the gas.  
  
Darcy looked at Darien, "What happened?" She looked at Darien, "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm tired and starvin'. Think we can pick up a few bacon cheeseburgers on the way?"   
  
"Oh, Darien, you didn't?" Darcy asked with concern.  
  
"I couldn't help it," he replied as he laid down next to Ed.  
  
Tara looked at Darien oddly, "What's wrong with him? I mean, why did his eyes look like that? Is it the gland?"  
  
"It's a long story," Darcy said and then she looked at Tara oddly, "So you're Lewis' daughter?"  
  
Mark glared at her, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Don't worry, I'm a friend, honest. I maybe one of Lewis' daughters, but that doesn't mean I share his beliefs, at least not anymore."  
  
"What does that mean?" Darcy asked suspiciously.  
  
"I'm a Chameleon…or at least I was…I'd like to learn more about co-existence. I think it's time we have more of an open mind." She glanced back at Ed, "War is not the answer, I see that now. Neither species will win."  
  
"Well, you might be too late on that," Mark said.  
  
"What? Why?" Tara asked.  
  
Mark and Darcy proceeded to tell her what had happened during the last week. Being underground and having no access to the outside world, Tara missed everything. As Mark and Darcy filled her in, Hobbes had no trouble exiting through the gates. He figured that Walter had something to do with that.  
  
Claire looked at Walter, "Where are they going now?"  
  
"Washington, D.C. to meet with the President, they just don't know it yet," Walter said.  
  
"Well, I'm going too." Claire squared her shoulders and her body language showed that no one better not oppose her. No one did.  
  
"Me too," Sloan announced and was out of the room before Walter could tell her otherwise.  
  
Hobbes decided to stop and pick up some food for everyone. From there they headed to the next rendezvous point to get another car and change clothes. Eberts had informed him that they were all going to Washington, D.C. and that a plane was waiting for them.  
  
Ed stirred and grabbed his head, "Ahh man," He looked around and saw Mark and Darien looking at him. He looked confused, "Where am I?"  
  
Tara checked Ed's tattoo, "All green."   
  
"What happened to me?" Ed looked at her oddly, "Do I know you?"  
  
"You don't remember?" Mark asked.  
  
"He was in stage five madness, sometimes it takes longer for the memories to come back," Darien said to Mark.  
  
Ed still looked as if he was in a fog. "Did I get beat up?" He asked.  
  
"Uhmm…yeah, I guess you could say that," Darien answered. "Look, Ed, the Lady faked your death. She brought you to a military base to run tests on you and try to clone the gland. You've been gone for almost a week. Hobbes figured out the scam and well, here we are."  
  
Ed looked as if he was about to be sick. He thought for a moment, "Wait, I remember something about that, but it seems so distant I can't put my finger on it. God, my head hurts." He leaned back and his face creased with pain.   
  
Darien rested his hand on Ed's shoulder, "Don't worry, trust me, the memories will come back. Just give it some time."  
  
Ed had a perplexed expression on his face. "What's the matter, Ed?" Tom asked.   
  
"You know when you hear a song and you just can't get it out of your head?" Ed asked.  
  
"Yeah," Darien answered. Tom just nodded.  
  
"Well, for some strange reason I can't get the song from the 'Wizard of Oz' out of my head, you know, 'Ding dong the witch is dead'."  
  
Darien half smiled, "Like I said, you'll remember and you'll wish you didn't."   
  
TBC… 


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23  
  
Ed had the chance to talk to his mom and Claire as he rode in the second van to the airport. When Ed heard Claire's voice he had to make sure he wasn't dreaming. That he still wasn't strapped down to that table or lying on that dreaded mattress on the floor. It was a voice that he thought he'd never hear again. Claire had cried and so did he. He didn't know the full extent as to what happened and why, but he wasn't going to waste any time talking to Claire about it. All he wanted to do was to tell her how much he loved her and wanted to see her again.  
  
Irene Morgan on the other hand was shocked to hear about her son. First it was denial, then anger that she would be put through another false report concerning her son. This was getting way out of hand and she had enough. She wanted a meeting with Senator Allen as soon as possible to get the answers she wanted. If her ex-husband was out in Washington, D.C. lobbying for this bill then she could smack Senator Allen over the head with it, after she held her son in her arms. Walter had informed her that Ed was on his way to the Capital and that he could provide her a plane ticket to meet her son there. Ed had called her a few moments later. His voice was low and sounded distraught, it concerned her greatly. When she got off the phone with Ed, she asked Walter, "What did they do to him?" Walter merely said, "It's classified." Irene became understandably upset. She had replied in a not so nice tone, "Classified my ass, this is my son we're talking about. He works for the government, shouldn't they be protecting him?"  
  
Walter smiled and heard a lot of Ed in her tone. She may be a church going woman, but like with any mother who loves her child, she still protected him and was fierce about it. When he was done talking with her, he said to no one particular, "I feel for anyone who gets in that woman's way." That someone would be Senator Allen and she had her sights set on him.  
  
To Ed, the steps leading up to the waiting aircraft was like climbing a mountain. Every joint, muscle and nerve screamed at him. All he wanted to do was to lie down, but he knew that sleep would only bring the nightmares and the images of what he had done, of what he had become. Darien walked behind him to give him support if need be, but he still kept a few steps behind him.   
  
He had remembered going in and out of quicksilver madness and how his body tensed up with each rush of pain. How he was strapped down and unable to curl up and ride out the headaches. His wrists hurt from having parts of his flesh torn away by the demon straps that held him so the so-called men of science could do their thing. Even part of his tattoo was gone, rubbed away by the constant struggling his body went through during his seizures. He would not only have the mental scars, but the physical ones as well.   
  
He made it inside the plane and looked around. It reminded him of the plane that he and Sloan flew back in after their excursion into Central Mexico. "Courtesy of the…University?" Ed muttered to himself as his flashback faded back into the deep recesses of his mind. He walked to the back of the plane and plopped himself down on the comfortable seat. How long has it been since he sat on anything that wasn't cold or worn out?  
  
Darien came on board followed by Hobbes and he caught sight of the plush plane, "Definitely not Agency issue." Darien shook his head, "Hobbes, the Agency can't even afford a model airplane," he retorted and planted his body in a seat near Ed.  
  
Ed leaned his head back and stared out the window. Four days. That's how long he was dead. It was thoughts of Claire that kept him going, wanting to fight the madness. But over time, his will to fight faded as the madness took control over and over again. The time spent in agonizing pain, time spent with very little food or water had broken him. The time he spent alone took his hopes away that he would be rescued. It was a long, lonely time that went by excruciating slow. Could he be the same man he was before his rampage? Only time would tell.  
  
'Claire, will you still want to be around me when you hear about the things I did? I need you more than ever. God, I wish this had been a dream,' Ed thought to himself as the engines with a loud roar came to life. The pilot announced to the group of misfits that they were going to taxi out to the runway. Time to put on the seatbelts, it was going to be a bumping ride and it wouldn't be turbulence outside the plane but from inside it.  
  
Walter, Sloan and Claire sat on the plane waiting. Claire kept looking out the window impatiently, "Isn't this thing ever going to take off?"  
  
Walter put his hand on top of hers, "It will, Claire, just be patient. We have a long flight."  
  
Claire whipped her head around, "Walter, four days ago I was told that my fiancé died, I went through hell and now I find out that he's alive. Patience is something that I don't have right now."  
  
Walter could sympathize with her. He did feel the same way five years ago after learning that Ed had survived the sedative injection. The wait to see his colleague again was unbearable, even if he was angry at Ed for breaking protocol with the genogenesis serum. It would be a long flight and they weren't expected to land until morning with the time zone difference. By the time he, Sloan and Claire landed at Dulles, Ed and Darien should be in the Oval Office greeting a very surprised President. If anybody can get them into the White House safely, it would be Darien.  
  
Once they were up in the air, Ed had gone into the restroom to clean up. Darien had given him a pair of clothes to change into, but had opted to wait until he had a chance to freshen up. Luckily they were the same build and height. Ed had taken a good glance at himself in the mirror, his eyes turned away at the sight before him. Days of pain, wear and tear showed on his normally tanned, smooth skin. He looked like he aged about twenty years. Dark circles had made an appearance under his eyes which had sunken just a bit into the sockets. "Mild dehydration…maybe," Ed murmured as he inspected his eyes and skin. There was also four days worth of facial hair growth on his face, "Man, the gland really makes the hair grow." Ed frowned when he spotted a few gray hairs mixed in with his natural brown coloring. "I earned each and every one of those," he said to at least give himself something to smile about.   
  
Slowly and carefully, he took his shirt off. His torso hadn't faired any better. Marred with bruises from God's know what were still purplish in color. Ed groaned when he pressed a finger on one of the bruises, "Okay, that hurt." He inspected his ribs, none were broken but he suspected they were bruised. "Must have been from the first day I was there," Ed remembered some of the treatment he had received. When he first awoke, he was strapped down on what would become his bed most of the time. He was nowhere near quicksilver madness at that point. He remembered the pain as they forced him to quicksilver by torturing him with devices he had never seen before.   
  
Ed quickly pushed those memories back as best he could. Now was the time to concentrate on the task at hand, making himself as presentable as possible. He decided to wait on shaving. The last thing he wanted to do was to shave on an airplane. Hitting air turbulence while holding a blade to his face wasn't on top of his 'to do' list at the moment. Ed would need to soften his beard anyway and he was just too tired for that right now. He bent down over the sink and washed his face first   
  
Hobbes came up and sat down next to Darien, "How's the kid doing?"  
  
Darien had the expression of concern on his face. "He's pretty messed up, inside and out." Darien replied gazing at the bathroom door.  
  
"They really did a number on him," Hobbes commented sullenly. During the race to get out, he hadn't had the chance to get a good look at Ed. It was only when they had switched vans did he see the physical signs of what Ed had endured. He genuinely felt sorry for Ed. "If anyone can help him, it'll be you and Claire."  
  
Darien looked at Hobbes in surprise, "You mean that too, don't you?"  
  
"Look, I know I can be somewhat possessive…"  
  
"'Somewhat' is not the word I would use."  
  
Hobbes shook his head, "Yeah, okay, so I'm possessive, sue me. But Bobby Hobbes knows true love when he sees it. I had it for Viv one time. The last thing I would want to do is to hurt Claire and I saw how much this affected her. I just have to face the fact that they love each other, you know, they're both smart, double D kinda smart so they have that lingo and all." Hobbes paused and let out a sigh as he stared down at the floor, "I'll always have a special place in my heart for Claire."  
  
"I'm proud of you, Hobbes," Darien patted Hobbes on his back.  
  
Hobbes leaned in to whisper to Darien, "What do you know about the dominant chick?"  
  
Darien looked at Hobbes with an odd expression, "What? You mean Tara?"  
  
"Yeah, does she like humans?"  
  
A wide smile spread across Darien's face, "You little tiger. You got the hots for her don't you?"  
  
"Fawkes, what kind of language is that?" Hobbes said in a phony disgusted tone.   
  
Darien finger punched Hobbes' chest, "Aahh, don't fake it buddy."  
  
"Sshhh…not so loud, Fawkes." Hobbes went about fixing his hair, "Do I look okay?"  
  
Darien's smile never faded, "You look fine. Go get her tiger." Darien watched as Hobbes shot him a wink and left. The smile faded to concern as he felt Ed's emotional presence in the bathroom. "Here I go again," Darien replied soulfully to himself as the bathroom door opened.  
  
Ed wore Darien's faded blue jeans, a white barfly t-shirt and converse sneakers when he stepped from the bathroom. He sat himself down again and stared at nothing in particular. His memories were back now and they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, piece by piece he remembered everything. And Darien was right about one thing, he wished he hadn't. Like that night he jumped in the ocean, he wanted to do nothing more than to wash away the things he had done and wanted to do. He sat close to the bathroom because he was still feeling sick to his stomach. He had already vomited before cleaning himself up and felt his stomach churning as the scene with Dr. Alvarez played repeatedly in his mind. How he almost raped the Lady was repulsive to him, Ed respected women, and the thought of what he *wanted* to do made him sick. How could he face Claire now?  
  
Darien sat down across from him. The pale sicken face of his scientist twin continued to look the other way, "I don't want to talk right now."  
  
"You need to."  
  
Ed swallowed the hard lump in his throat. "Go away."  
  
"Okay, then lets talk about something else…hey I know…how 'bout them Marlins winning the World Series!?" Darien said with a small hint of excitement in his voice in the hopes of getting Ed to talk.  
  
"I don't watch baseball, it's boring," Ed returned sharply still keeping his face glued at the window.  
  
Darien pursed his lips together. "Can't see too much when it's dark outside."  
  
"I see enough."  
  
"Ed, you can't shut yourself off like this."  
  
Ed turned to glare at Darien, "Why?"   
  
"'Why' what?" Darien noticed that the sparkle in Ed's eyes were gone. Ed was certainly someone who had gone through hell and it showed.  
  
"Why didn't you do what you promised to do?" The pain in Ed's voice was evident.  
  
Darien looked down at the floor of the plush aircraft that zipped its way to Washington, D.C., "Because I knew that we could save you. But if you had gone permanent, I would have fulfilled my promise."  
  
"Too late, Darien, I killed those people," Ed's face reddened with sadness and remorse, "Damn it, Darien! I…I…was brutal…like an animal." Ed turned his head away to look out the window again, "I want to be alone."  
  
"Nope, can't do that. We're on an airplane," Darien said.  
  
Ed shook his head and chuckled out of annoyance, "Screw you," Ed got up and Darien pushed him down on the chair again. Ed looked up at Darien with anger, "You weren't supposed to save me, Darien! You were supposed to put a bullet in me like you promised!" Ed yelled back.  
  
Darien looked at Ed with sympathy, "I know what you're going through…"  
  
Ed stood up and glared at Darien. The two men were eye to eye. "NO, you don't! Did you put someone's head through glass doors? Did you try to rape your boss only to snap her neck instead? I did those things and more, Darien. I don't want to hear, 'It wasn't the real you'…f*ck that! It was the real me, the one that's caged deep down inside!" Ed pounded on his chest to accentuate his point. "Where were you!?! You were supposed to kill me!!"  
  
Darien gripped Ed's shoulders, "Damn you! What about Claire? Huh? What about the promise to love and to cherish in sickness and in health?"   
  
"I haven't made that promise yet." Ed said with a sneer.  
  
"You did when you put the ring on her finger and asked her to marry you."  
  
"I have to live with the fact that I killed five people, Darien. How can I even trust myself around her? Would you?" Ed waited for Darien's reply. There was none. "See, even you have doubts. I'll never trust myself and you of all people should understand that."  
  
"I said this once to Claire, Hobbes and the Official and it's true for you too. What happened to Simon Cole, the first invisible man, will not happen to you or me cause we both have something that he didn't."  
  
"Yeah, and what's that?"  
  
"Friends."  
  
Ed looked off to the side. Darien was right. He had friends and plenty of them. They had risked their own lives to come and rescue him. Tears flowed down his cheeks. Darien let Ed slide down the closed door to the floor. Darien knelt down and put his arms around Ed, "You're gonna be okay."  
  
"I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…" Ed said repeatedly through the tears and the gasps as he tried to wash his pain away in the tears that flowed from him.  
  
Hobbes turned his attention to Tara as Ed and Darien continued to talk, "Okay, you were there, what did they do to Ed?"  
  
Tara paused and let out a long cleansing sigh, "They ran every possible test they could think of. At first, they were going to remove the gland and have me clone it but when they went over Arnaud's notes, they didn't find the cure for quicksilver madness…"  
  
"So, they were going to fix the gland and then have a harvesting party?" Hobbes asked as he kept one ear on the conversation with Tara and the other one on Darien and Ed.  
  
"Yes, that's correct. But that all changed when they couldn't fix it right away. So I took a tissue sample of the gland to clone it in the hopes of having a prototype to work with outside of Ed. But I soon discovered that it needs to be in a host's body in order for it to activate the quicksilver. It needs elements of the host's blood to produce the quicksilver and they need the quicksilver to find the toxin to find the mutation. So, it was better to keep Ed alive in the hopes of finding a cure."  
  
"And when they did, what was going to happen to Ed?" Tom asked.  
  
"Well, the first option was to cure the gland and then harvest it. But I think they realized that Ed was too valuable for them to do that. Even under the influence of quicksilver madness he still possessed his scientific knowledge and skills. They could train him to be an assassin or work on experiments since he was no longer controlled by his conscious. He would do anything without hesitation."  
  
"A predator," Tom said with an expression of seriousness on his face. He held one hand up to his mouth as he spoke.  
  
Tara shook her head, "Yeah, you might say that."  
  
"But you can't train a wild animal…eventually it bites you back," Hobbes replied. Tom shook his head in agreement. Training or even brainwashing Ed might not have worked if they couldn't even control him in the first place.  
  
"We heard something mentioned about back packs. What was that all about?" Mark asked.  
  
"They extracted some quicksilver from Ed…"  
  
"How?" Darcy asked.  
  
"They went through the small hole that I had drilled to get the tissue sample…"  
  
"Fawkes came across a Chinese scientist who had invented a back pack to work like a gland. Quicksilver was stored in it…this is all making sense now. They were going to use back packs instead of mass producing glands," Hobbes said.  
  
"What's the advantage in that?" Mark asked.  
  
"According to what I learned, you would have to make the gland and the host compatible. That means altering the DNA of hundreds of glands. Not all implantations are successful, so would you risk losing a number of men and possible glands in the process?" Tara stated and then continued, "After surgery there's a three week period were the host is in a medically induced coma and then maybe a couple of weeks of rehab and training."  
  
"And that would take too long to assemble an army. They wanted something quick and more dependable without the surgical risks." Hobbes looked around the dominants with a grave expression on his face.  
  
"So, they wouldn't have to find a cure then would they?" Darcy asked.  
  
"No, the cure still needed to be found. The toxin is still in the quicksilver whether they take it from Ed or from a gland cloned from his." Tara said.  
  
"So, the toxin would affect anybody whether they had a gland in them or not." Tom stated.  
  
"That's affirmative," Hobbes said. "I went stage five nutso just having a small amount of Fawkes' quicksilver go into my system. It was loaded with the toxin and the new counteragent Keepie was playing with. Not a pretty sight, my friend."  
  
"Agent Hobbes, you do understand all this." Tara stated surprised.  
  
"Oh I'm smart, no doubt about that, never underestimate Bobby Hobbes." He said as he leaned back in the seat. His arm stretched out above his head to lay across the back of the seat as he crossed his legs.  
  
Tara smiled at him, "I'll have to remember that." There was something about Hobbes that intrigued her and she sensed the feelings from him. She definitely wanted to get to know him more. Maybe humans were not as bad as her father had taught her. After what she witnessed, she realized that there was good and bad in each species. With Tom's help, she would have a better understanding of her own feelings that she was taught to repress.  
  
"Do you think we should put Ed on a suicide watch? I mean, what he went through, it's bound to mess him up." Darcy asked. The group fell silent for a moment waiting for someone else to speak up. They knew how upset Ed was and his outburst with Darien was only the beginning.   
  
"As much as I hate to say it, but yeah. It was hard enough on Fawkes, but he didn't go as far as Ed did." Hobbes paused for a moment. "He's lucky to have Fawkes to talk to," Hobbes said as he glanced back to Darien and Ed, "I would definitely keep an eye on him."  
  
"I agree, I saw what Ed went through, he'll probably start showing signs of post traumatic stress disorder at some point," Tara noted.  
  
Darcy let out a sigh for her friend, "Good thing he has Claire."  
  
Hobbes looked down at his boot while his hand skimmed across the surface as if to brush something off of it, "Yeah. Claire has plenty experience dealing with post quicksilver madness depression. She had'da deal with hair ball over there for two years."  
  
"SHE…DID…WHAT!?!"  
  
Hobbes and the others jumped from the outburst. Hobbes turned his head to see Ed standing tall with one hand on his hip and the other running through his hair. He didn't look happy at all. They watched as Darien said something to Ed.  
  
"I can't believe it! Ahh man, I loved that van!" Ed's tone was both aggravated and mournful.   
  
Hobbes spat out a chuckle and covered his mouth. Tom smiled. Darcy giggled and Mark turned his head away to stifle his own laugh. Tara had no idea what was going on. "Can someone explain to me what that was all about," she said watching Hobbes face turn red from laughter.  
  
"Ed had this van…" Hobbes started to say.  
  
"A classic…" Darcy added with a snicker.  
  
"Yeah, a real classic. It was and old VW model from the sixties. The Lady put a cadaver in it and pushed it off the cliff so we would think that it was an accident," Hobbes said trying to suppress his laughter.  
  
"Ed really did love that van," Tom stated.   
  
"I got laid in that van."  
  
Darien looked at Ed surprised, "Really!?!"  
  
"Oh yeah, one day after surfing…"  
  
Darien put his hand up, "As much as I would love to hear about your sexual exploits in the Tatemobile, I do have to ask. Does Claire know?"   
  
"I hope so, she was one of them," Ed wiggled his brows.  
  
Darien smiled mischievously, "Oh, bro…You are a wild man."  
  
"Why do you think I had sleeping bags, pillows, blankets in the back and curtains on the windows?" Ed said with the tone of a mischief teenager in his voice. "Sloan and I even nearly spent the night together in my van."  
  
Darien's eyes lit up, "You did!? Whoa…what was that like?"  
  
Ed half smiled in embarrassment, "It's not what you think. She was going to show me the cave that Tom had showed her earlier. That's the night Kelly and Darcy were rescued from Lynch."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Ed paused for a moment and let out a deep sigh as his mind went back to events of the past week, "I still see and hear them you know, before I killed them. The pleas for mercy, the looks on their faces, I don't think I'll ever forget it. Will I ever be forgiven for what I did?"  
  
"Look, you have to ask yourself, without the quicksilver madness are you capable of doing those things?"  
  
Ed looked down at the floor of the plane, "No," came the soft reply.   
  
"That's Arnaud's scam with the counteragent. That's why the Official played the madness card the way he did with me. I had no choice but to stay with the Agency." Darien paused and then continued, "No one can tell you how you're supposed to feel, not even me. But I do know one thing, it wasn't your fault. The way I see it, they should have known what they were getting themselves into, especially the Leopard Queen," Darien said.  
  
"Leopard Queen?"  
  
"Yeah, that's one of Hobbes' nicknames for her."  
  
Ed forced a half hearted smile, "That fits. But it doesn't make what I did right or any easier to accept," Ed said sadly as his head lowered.  
  
"No…but you didn't choose this, Ed. You didn't go into quicksilver madness because you were bored and didn't have anything better to do. You were forced into it. There's no way for you to control what happens. It was their choice, not yours." Darien studied Ed for a moment. He was still torn up inside over what happened. Darien leaned forward resting his forearms on his knees, "In my book all you did was kill terrorists, that's what they were, glorified terrorists who had the license to kill from the government. Ed, she had an agenda and you were going to play a key role in that. If that doc had been successful in brainwashing you they would have used you against humans too."  
  
Ed's face turned to shock at Darien's words. He had remembered how Walter had told him that according to her they were all expendable. Would she use him as her own personal hit man?   
  
"Senator Allen is a very popular man right now. People believe that he's the only one in Washington with enough guts to stand up to the dominants. People also feel that the President has failed on key issues lately, the economy, war on terrorism and especially the dominants. His approval rating has dropped dramatically while Senator Allen is gaining supporters. Believe it or not, we're lookin' at another Holocaust here if the President signs that bill."  
  
"This is a big friggin' mess," Ed said with an exasperated sigh. "She would have sent me to kill the President and then blame it on the dominants," he said in a tone of sudden realization.  
  
Darien pointed to him, "I think you're right."  
  
"Well, I certainly wouldn't put it past her."  
  
"See, you may have saved the day by stopping her. Ed, the military was involved in this also. Tara said there was a General overseeing the whole project, but she didn't think he was there when the walls fell."  
  
"Darmok and Jilad at Tanagra."  
  
"Sucat, his eyes uncovered," Darien responded with elation.   
  
Ed shook his head as he let out a chuckle. "Lets not start talking in metaphors, especially Star Trek ones." Ed looked around for a moment and then turned his attention back to Darien, "Does she know who this General was?"  
  
"No, she never heard his name, but she said she could pick him out of a crowd."  
  
"Great, it could be anybody. Does she know which branch of service he was with?"  
  
"Army."  
  
"Special Forces maybe?"  
  
"That's what I'm thinking. But don't you worry about that. Hobbes and I will take care of it. You just concentrate on yourself."  
  
Ed shook his head with trepidation as he ran his hand over his bandaged wrist. Claire had told him about the new and improved monitor. He wasn't sure how to take it. "You thinking about what Claire did to you?" Darien, with a creased brow asked.  
  
Ed let out grunt, "Yeah…Why didn't she tell me?"  
  
"That, you'll have to ask her yourself."  
  
Ed shook his head, "I don't know what to think about this, I have mixed feelings on it. I mean on the one hand I'm angry that now my every move can be traced, but on the other hand I'm grateful cause I know I can be stopped."  
  
"Well, there are pros and cons to everything, bro. She loves you and I think she did it to protect you. With as many times as I went cuckoo for cocoa puffs or got captured, that little device may have come in handy. Claire you can trust, and I mean that, not because she loves you, but because she does care. She may not have always shown it with me, but deep down inside, she did care about what happened to me." Darien paused and then continued, "Talk about me not having a chance, you do. You can find a cure."  
  
"I'm not sure if the information I got from Claire will be enough," Ed said dejectedly.   
  
"Hmm…maybe, but I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for on these," Darien handed Ed the disks.  
  
  
  
Ed took them in his hand and looked at them with curiosity, "What's this?"  
  
"All the information that those mooks got on the gland including what was taken from Arnaud's computer."  
  
Ed's face lit up like a Christmas tree, "You're shittin' me!?!" Ed looked at the number of disks in shock. He glanced up at Darien with the same look on his face.  
  
"Is that a scientific response?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Never mind. Tara downloaded all the info…ah Ed, there's something you need to know about Tara."  
  
"She's a dominant, I know." Ed looked at the disks in his hands again, "I can't believe this," he said under his breath.  
  
"Well, that's not all of it exactly…her father is uhm…well, her father is Lewis."  
  
Ed paused, he looked as if the carpet had been ripped from underneath him, "What?"  
  
"But don't worry, she's cool, she helped us get you out." Darien watched Ed's face turned from shock to concern and then to worry. "She can be trusted, Ed." Darien glanced in Tara's direction, "She's confused right now and Tom is helping her sort out her feelings." He turned his attention back to Ed, "I think it was you that changed her."  
  
"What? Me?" Ed thought back and didn't recall having any meaningful conversations with her.  
  
"I think you caught her eye, if you know what I mean," Darien wiggled his eye brows.   
  
"Oh great," Ed rolled his eyes.  
  
"Ah, don't worry, she knows about Claire and she won't get in the way of that. Besides, I think she's caught the attention of someone else."  
  
"Mark?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Shane?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Hobbes."  
  
Ed nearly broke out in laughter, "I'm sorry, but…does she know?"  
  
"Yeah, I think she does."  
  
"Oh man, now this is funny, I mean not Hobbes having a thing for her but…"  
  
"Lewis will flip his lid."  
  
"Blow a head gasket."  
  
"I'd love to be there when he finds out that not only his daughter has switched sides but that she's seeing a human," Darien pictured Lewis turning as red as his shirt. Ed couldn't help but chuckle, "That would finish him off for good as far as the Council goes."  
  
Darien patted Ed on his back, "C'mon, we need to plan our field trip to the White House." Ed nodded and he followed Darien to the front of the plane to rejoin the others. "Hey, you know, we're like the 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'," Ed mused.  
  
"Oh yeah, and you would be…Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?" Darien asked.  
  
"Not funny," Ed said mockingly. "Probably more like Dorian Gray…I appear to be an immortal."   
  
Darien chuckled as he pondered Ed's observations about his uncanny ability to survive deadly situations. "Okay, so what about Hobbes?"  
  
"Allan Quatermain, for sure."  
  
Darien put his arm around Ed, "You know, I think you've got something there."   
  
Ed stopped, "Did I really sing 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead'?"  
  
Darien scratched the back of his neck, "Ah…yeah, you did."  
  
Ed covered his face with his hands, "My God."  
  
"Ed..."  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
"Stick to the double D stuff and the surfing."   
  
Ed smirked. "Don't worry about that. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch 'The Wizard of OZ' again."  
  
Darien and Ed sat down and the rag tag team of renegades planned their entry into one of the country's most guarded buildings, the White House.  
  
TBC… 


	24. Chatper 24

Chapter 24  
  
Hobbes drove the rental van up 17th Street towards Pennsylvania Avenue. He was going to get Darien and Ed as close as he could to the West Wing of the White House. Hobbes stopped the vehicle just shy of where Pennsylvania Avenue is blocked off. Marine guards came up to the window and Hobbes pretended that he was lost. He stepped from the van and inconspicuously left the door open, "I need some help here. I'm trying to get to the visitor center. I was trying to go down Pennsylvania Avenue to get to 15th Street but I can't seem to get through."  
  
"Sir, Pennsylvania Avenue splits with the White House in the center. You're on the west side, what you need to do is go around to the east side," the first guard graciously told Hobbes. He even pointed to the map that Hobbes was holding to show him how to get to Pennsylvania Avenue on the east side.  
  
Darcy snickered to Tara, "The ironic thing about this is…human men don't usually ask for directions." Tara chuckled back, "That's true for dominant men as well." The two ladies shared a laugh with Mark and Tom looking on with awkward expressions.   
  
Darien and Ed took advantage of the delay tactic and made their way from the van to Northwest Gate about a mile away. Hobbes after getting the right directions to his fake destination got back in the van and drove off. Tom and the others sat in the back and all they could do was wait. Hobbes headed towards the visitor center on the east side of the White House.  
  
Darien and Ed walked down the small road towards the entrance to the West Wing. Trees lined the road which had started to turn colors to greet the fall season. Cars drove up and down the road as staff went to work or were dropped off. Darien looked at Ed, "You ready?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be. This is something to tell my grandkids isn't it?" Ed replied with a slight chuckle.   
  
"Let's go. Remember to keep contact or else you'll have to go invisible yourself."  
  
"Don't worry. The last thing I want to do is go nutso in the Oval Office."  
  
The two men walked inside unnoticed and quietly made their way to the secretary's office. It was an unusually busy day with the President getting ready to sign the bill. The media was definitely on hand for this historic occasion. Darien and Ed walked past the secretary who stopped what she was doing and her body shuddered. "What's wrong Mrs. Matthews?" A man asked.  
  
"I just felt a cold rush of air," she commented as something from the corner of her eye caught her attention. The door leading into the Oval Office opened and then closed. She turned and stared at the White House usher, "Did you see that?"  
  
"It's the ghosts again, you know this place is full of them. Maybe it's the ghost of Abraham Lincoln going to tell the President not to sign that bill." He jokingly remarked. The secretary let out a somewhat nervous laugh, "Oh, David, you're such a kidder. You don't really believe in those stories do you?"  
  
"You just felt one and saw the door open and close by itself didn't you?" The usher smirked and sat down to wait for the mini press conference to be over with.  
  
Mrs. Matthews glanced back at the door and then at the usher. Maybe there was some truth to the tales of the ghosts of past Presidents haunting the White House.  
  
  
  
Darien and Ed entered the Oval Office. There were cameras set up in the middle of the room, photographers were ready to snap pictures, and reporters with notepads in their hands ready to record the President signing a very important bill. Also in the room was Senator Allen, who was accompanied by Ed's father, Jonathan Tate.   
  
Ed whispered in Darien's ear, "What's my father doing here?"  
  
"I'll explain that one later." Darien patted Ed on his back, "Get ready, you're on." The two men made their way to the back of the room near the fire place. Darien took his hand away from Ed and a few moments later, Ed appeared in the back of the room behind the cameras. Now visible, he moved from behind the cameras into view. Jonathan looked up in shock and had to do a double take. He grabbed his heart in fear that he was seeing the ghost of his son.  
  
Ed smiled, "I'm not a ghost, relax." All eyes turned to Ed. The President stood as Jonathan cried out, "That's my son!" The cameras quickly turned around and started filming, the photographers snapped their pictures. Senator Allen looked on in shock. "Dr. Tate? Here? So he did escape," he muttered softly to himself. He had heard about what happened at the base, but he didn't have all the details. He was told that Dr. Tate could not be found.   
  
Jonathan rushed over and embraced his son. "My boy…my boy…" Jonathan repeated over and over as he checked his son to make sure he wasn't dreaming, "What happened to you…look at you…you look awful."  
  
"I'll explain later, but right now I have to talk to the President…alone," Ed said to his father.  
  
Ed's sudden appearance caused a commotion in the room. Reporters and photographers surrounded him. Ed covered his eyes from the bright flashing bulbs. Questions were coming at him from all directions. The President called in some secret service agents to clear the room.   
  
Everyone was ushered out including the cameras. Only Senator Allen remained at Ed's request. "How did you get in here?" The President asked. Darien appeared in a shower of shimmering flakes sitting on a chair next to the President's desk, "You know, your chairs are very comfortable." Darien got up and extended his hand, "Hello, Mr. President, I'm Special Agent Darien Fawkes."  
  
The President reached out with an unsure hand. As he shook Darien's hand he couldn't help but stare. He read the reports about the QS-9300 Project but he hadn't seen it or in this case not seen it in person. "Amazing, just amazing, Agent Fawkes," he said. His voice filled with astonishment.   
  
The Senator took a step back at the sudden appearance of Darien Fawkes. "Sir, this man is a dominant," Senator Allen said as he pointed to Darien, "Your life is in danger."  
  
Darien cocked his head to one side with disgust written on his face, "Come on, if I was going to do the President any harm, I would've done it already. Man, you need to loosen up. Are you getting enough fiber in your diet?"  
  
Senator Allen moved across the room towards Darien. "I do not have to take that from someone like you." The Senator was now standing nearly toe to toe with him.  
  
"Bring it on," Darien said in a low tone. He glared at the Senator with anger.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Senator, unless you can back up your words," Ed replied.  
  
"Is that a threat, Dr. Tate?" Senator asked turning his gaze to Ed.  
  
"No, just a warning."  
  
"Gentleman! May I remind you that you are in the Oval Office and I'm in charge here," the President stated in an authoritative tone.   
  
Darien turned to Ed, "Did the President just tell us to shut-up?"  
  
"Ah yeah, that was definitely shut-up, but it was said nicely."   
  
"Hmmm…a Presidential Shut-Up."  
  
"That can't be good."  
  
"As oppose to a Presidential Pardon."  
  
"Which is good."  
  
The President stared irritably at the twins, "I would like to have some questions answered please."  
  
Darien and Ed smiled at each other. "That was good, Ed. You're learning."  
  
"I learn from the best."  
  
"Okay, would either of you like to explain to me what is going on here," the President said as he sat down. Senator Allen began to speak, "Sir, these men…"  
  
"Hold on, I do believe since I'm the dead one here that I should at least be allowed to speak first," Ed said as he stared down Senator Allen. The President nodded, "Go ahead, Dr. Tate."  
  
"Thank you, Mr. President. Sir, I know that you are well aware of the QS-9300 Project?" Ed watched as the President acknowledged that he knew. "Okay, well…" Ed turned to Darien and he gave Ed encouragement to continue. Ed let out a throat clearing cough, "Well, I was recently implanted with a QS gland by a terrorist named Arnaud de Thiel or is it de Fohn…"  
  
"What were you doing collaborating with a terrorist, Dr. Tate?" Senator Allen questioned trying to catch Ed and protect himself.  
  
"Well, actually that's a question I should be asking you, Senator. What did Ms. Welsh promise Arnaud?"  
  
"Ms. Welsh?" Senator asked.  
  
"You know who I'm talking about. The one that set me up from the very beginning, she had me kidnapped and implanted with this thing although that wasn't exactly the plan now was it?" Ed said as he glared at Senator Allen.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Ed held up papers he was holding in his hand right up to the Senator's face, "Does 'Operation: Gemini' ring a bell?" Ed waited for any sign of recognition from Senator Allen.   
  
Senator Allen looked down at the floor in an attempt to hide his expression that he knew what Ed was talking about. 'He knows,' he thought to himself. He glanced up in time to see Darien smiling at him. He had completely forgotten about Darien's dominant ability to read minds.   
  
Ed continued, "We have telephone logs that show when you called Ms. Welsh. You can't cover this up, Senator. Ms. Welsh already tried to cover up one big snafu…" Ed saw how the Senator's eyes shifted direction quickly, "She chose you to help her didn't she? Why not, you're the big shot Senator in Congress that everyone respects. Who better than to lead the masses in an unprecedented move that hasn't been seen in a long time?"  
  
"Dr. Tate, please explain," the President said with hands folded on top of his desk.  
  
"Alright, I have this theory that hasn't been tested yet on the true origin of the dominants. I don't think they came from Central Mexico, well, at least they weren't indigenous to that region." Ed watched Darien and the President sit up straight. Senator Allen listened intently. Ed continued, "Skulls dating thousands of years older than the Neanderthals were found in Ethiopia making the whole theory that we evolved from Neanderthals unlikely. These skulls have an uncanny resemblance to modern homo-sapiens then anything found to date. It's believed that these early homo-sapiens migrated into Europe and they caused the extinction of the Neanderthals. In other words, Homo-sapiens and Neanderthals were two completely different species, like humans and dominants."  
  
"What does that have to do with your theory?" Senator Allen asked.  
  
"Keep your pants on, I'm getting to that," Ed shot Senator Allen an irritated look and then continued, "These homo-sapiens were obviously smarter and stronger than the Neanderthals, but were not accustomed to the different climates in Europe. So, like with anything else, they were able to adapt over a period of time. Now this took thousands of years. I'm talking about, change in hair, eyes, skin, body build, you know, physical changes. Now jump ahead a couple of million years and here we are now. Sir, I was at the dominants place of origin and there's no possible way that anyone could have survived in that desert. At least not now, but nearly 60 years ago, it was habitable and the dominants lived in a village a mile and a half wide. Sir, that village is now buried fifteen feet underground and unless my anthropology is a little rusty, that sort of devastation to a large village does not occur naturally over a 50 year period, it takes at least four to five centuries for that to happen. Not to mention that an area doesn't become inhospitable overnight, something catastrophic must occur."  
  
"Like what?" Darien asked genuinely interested in what Ed was saying.  
  
"I've studied areas devastated by volcanic eruptions, but this is not what happened here and it wasn't an earthquake either. Our first theory was that something happened to cause the climate to change like global warming. But that doesn't explain how the village became buried fifteen feet under the desert floor in a relatively short period of time."  
  
"So, what ya think caused it?" Darien asked. Then he looked at the President and gave him an apologetic shrug of his shoulders for asking questions ahead of the President.  
  
Ed sighed, "I'm not sure, but given the time and how nuclear science was young, I'd say it was radiation caused by a nuclear accident, but that's my best guess. We would need to take soil samples from at least fifteen below the surface to test that theory, but that's not my field of expertise. But I will say this, we know the kind of experiments the Nazi's were performing on people and I won't go into that," Ed glared at Senator Allen. He had just spent four days being experimented on and he was still in discomfort from that. "I'm thinking that like the Nazi's, a government, possibly ours were doing experiments on people. I have no idea what the intentions were but somehow from messing with the boundaries of science, dominants were created from either a failed science experiment or nuclear accident of some kind or even both. Humans may have been injected with some chemicals that had a DNA altering reaction to exposure to radiation. Look, I don't know for sure but…the dominants that I've met are not indigenous to Central Mexico. They look about as American or European, if you will, as any one of us. If the dominants truly evolved naturally from humans, then they should bare a more strikingly resemblance to their natural ancestors, Central Mexicans. It's only been close to 60 years since they evolved, not enough time for physical changes to occur. I've seen older dominants with blue eyes and blonde hair, which are not genetic markers that you would associate with Central Mexico, some West European Countries, yes, but not Central Mexico."  
  
"What if they evolved a long time ago and just left the area 60 years ago?" Senator Allen asked.  
  
Ed shook his head as he spoke, "Alright, anthropology 101 is in session. What we think of as our DNA is also called 'nuclear DNA'. That controls most of our physical appearance because it's in every cell of our bodies and there are two copies of it in the cell nucleus. Now within those cells are what we call mitochondria DNA or mtDNA and they also have their own DNA molecules. These mtDNA are small energy-producing organelles found in cells. What's the difference between nuclear DNA and mtDNA? Glad you asked. Nuclear DNA is inherited from both mother and father where as mtDNA is only inherited from the mother. That is because all of the mitochondria are descended from those in our mother's egg cell. Now with the males, it's the Y-chromosomes that are tested within the DNA that is past down from father to son. Genealogists look for what is called 'Short Tandem Repeats' or 'STR's'. Those are 'stutters' in the DNA that repeats a certain pattern over and over. Ahh…think of the DNA molecule as a computer program except instead of being a long string of all 1's and 0's you have A's, C's, G's, and T's. The pattern that is repeated could look like GATA GATA GATA. These 'stutters' are given names like DYS391 or DYS455. The numbers that we get back in the Y-chromosome test refers to how many times a pattern is repeated at one of the markers or stutters. The example I gave you would return a value of '3'. We refer to that number of repeats as 'alleles' of a marker. This pattern is handed down unchanged from father to son. Now changes can happen in the repeated pattern. The son may inherit either a longer or shorter repeat than the father. The son would then eventually pass that modified version to his own sons. These mutations in the marker don't happen often, they may mutate once in a bout 500 generations." Darien let out a long whistle of astonishment. Ed smiled and then continued, "But it also means that with 25 markers we might see a mutation in one of them within say…about…20 generations."  
  
"Dr. Tate…please, I'm getting a headache," Senator Allen protested.  
  
"You're not the only one," Darien smirked with a half grin.  
  
Ed let out a sigh and put his hands up, "Okay, okay, I get the hint, but I need to explain this so you can get the complete picture here. As a geneticist I look at a different kind of marker called a Unique Event Polymorphism or in short, UEP. The change that I would expect to see is just a switch in a letter in the DNA, like a 'C' may change into a 'T'. This is called Single Nucleotide Polymorphism or SNP. These mutations are very rare in UEP's, they may happen once in a 100 million generations. Once a UEP mutation has occurred all the descendants from that first man will show the same mutation. That's how we group people into what we call haplogroups."  
  
"Harpogroups?" Darien asked.  
  
Ed chuckled. "Haplogroups. It's a group made up of all the paternal descendants of the single person who first showed a particular UEP mutation. Each member of that group would have the same mutation that appeared in that group's founding father along with the UEP mutations he inherited from his forefathers. This is how we're able to identify descendants of a group of people over tens of thousands of years."  
  
Darien looked at Ed in shock, "Whoa, now that's a long time."  
  
"It sure is." Ed turned his attention to the Senator, "Senator, you asked what if they had evolved along time ago. Let's take your scenario and combine it with what we just discussed. If a village that size was around for a long time as you suggest, then at least some of the people if not half of them within that village should be related to a specific haplogroup. Families very rarely moved around like they do here, especially in villages that were so far from civilization. They mostly kept to themselves or the surrounding villages, but in this case, Senator, there was only one other village in the area." Ed looked around the room. There was a moment of silence as Ed's words were starting to sink in.  
  
"Ah…I get it. What you're telling us is that the dominants should share a common ancestry because of this UEP…and what else?" Darien asked.  
  
"'mtDNA'," Ed answered.  
  
"Yeah, okay, so this mtDNA is passed down from mother to child and the UEP is passed down from father to son, so that would mean that the dominants should be related in one way or another and you're saying they're not…is that right?" Darien asked.  
  
"Give that man a prize," Ed responded gleefully. A self-assured smart ass kind of grin spread across Darien's face.   
  
"Yes, that's what I'm talking about." Ed turned his attention to the President, "Sir, I ran an mtDNA and an UEP test on Darien and myself to see if we're related cause of our close resemblance. There was no match, our mtDNA and UEP are different. If we had a common female or male in our ancestry that would have shown up but it didn't. What I'm saying here is that none of the dominants I've tested are related outside of individual family groups. If their ancestors lived in the village as Senator Allen has suggested for along time, then there should be a common mutation in the DNA in some of them if not all of them."  
  
The President looked at Ed for a moment and then asked, "What other proof do you have?"  
  
"Well, there's something else we need to look at that doesn't fit with the Senator's scenario. Knowing that dominant females can become pregnant at the age of nine and they can have up to four children at a time. Over a period of just a couple of years, maybe even sooner, that village would have become over populated. Besides, if they had evolved a long time ago their strong desire for survival, their innate aggressive tendencies and the need for procreation would have driven them out of the village anyway even years earlier. No, what we're looking at is something that occurred over night. Look, some physical traits are more dominant than others. As I've stated, I've seen and tested many dominants and there are no Central Mexican characteristics in most if not nearly all of them."  
  
There was a heavy silence in the room. Ed continued after giving the three men a few moments to think about what was being said. "Look at this way, if one of the parents is indigenous to Central Mexico, that child would more than likely have dark eyes or darker skin pigmentation because that's the stronger trait, but I just haven't seen it. I also use mtDNA to trace migration patterns to study our ancestors. Our mtDNA does not match those of Neanderthals, that's another study that strengthens the theory that we did not evolve from them. The mtDNA or UEP I've found in dominants shows they are not related to the Mixtecs and or Zapotecs or any other Native American haplogroup. If they lived in Oaxaca for a long time, they should have the mtDNA of the indigenous people and they don't. The only thing I see in common with all dominants is the natural immunity to three specific diseases to that region. And that can only occur with long exposure to that strain."  
  
"Okay, Dr. Tate, if it was a government testing ground, then how do you explain the long exposure? Wouldn't they have to be around for a long time as you say?" Senator Allen asked.  
  
Ed smiled, "There's a lot you don't know about dominants or anthropology for that matter. Dominants have the uncanny ability to adapt very quickly to any given area. It's biologically imperative for their survival. It's possible that the immunity was picked up at the moment of the DNA conversion. It can also mean that over a short period of time, they can become immune to any childhood diseases as they adapt to any given area and that immunity is passed down from mother to child."  
  
"This makes them even more dangerous. They can be carriers of childhood diseases and pass them on to us," Senator Allen pleaded with the President, "Sir, you've got to sign this bill."  
  
Ed shook his head, "We have vaccines for that now and besides, you changed the subject. The only reason why you want this bill signed is to keep the world from knowing the truth and you want to fix the mistake by turning dominants back into humans. Ms. Welsh didn't want peace, she never did. All she did was push us to come up with ways to fight this 'war'. She just wanted a way to keep the truth hidden to save the government from being embarrassed." Ed shook his head, "I can't believe that I didn't see all this sooner, but the pressure was on us to find ways to fight for our survival that the true origin of the dominants was never in question. All we focused on was that we had a war to win. But I should add that all this is only a theory and no one outside of this room knows it." Ed lied; the only other person who might know was Tara. But how much she knew, he didn't know. "I never got a chance to say anything to anybody. So, the secret is safe as long as we keep our mouths shut."  
  
"Are you thinking of blackmailing the United State Government, Dr. Tate?" The President asked as he rose to his feet.  
  
Ed let out a soft chuckle, "Mr. President, a theory is hardly blackmail material, and I don't have concrete proof…at least not yet. But one thing I do know, my death was used to sell you a lie and put the world in danger. I know that Senator Allen was involved in my so-called martyrdom. The original plan was for me to get close to the gland so I could help in the production of QS glands. While invisible, dominants can be spotted easily and therefore easily apprehended or killed. But I was implanted with the gland instead. The gland was originally going to be harvested from me, killing me in the process. But a strange little mutation called quicksilver madness prevented that from happening, because in order to figure out the mutation and come up with a cure, it has to be in a living host. Lucky for me…or not. I was kidnapped the morning I came to my theory about the dominants. I was taken to a secured military base and put through days of experiments and tests that were not at all that comfortable. It was then realized that the implantation procedure and the rehab time following surgery would take too long. So, taking some information from the Agency files, it was decided to use special back packs to circulate quicksilver through the wearer's body. It would work and act just like a gland. While they were trying to figure out a way to recycle the quicksilver, I was pushed into stage five madness…" Ed looked at Senator Allen, "I was anything but nice. The plan was to brainwash me, Mr. President, to be a killer and I suspect not just to kill dominants but anybody who got in the way of the great plan to wipe out the dominants. It was easy, I had no morals, no conscious, I wouldn't care who I killed, just as long as I got to do it. No one would be safe with an invisible hit man running around, not even you sir."  
  
The President let out a sigh, "This is serious accusations, Dr. Tate. Do you have proof?"  
  
Ed put the papers down in front of him, reached into his back pocket and pulled out a mini-disk, "Proof is on here, Mr. President. Some of the material was taken off of Ms. Welsh's computer, not the one at the military base, but from her office in San Diego. I think that you would be interested in seeing what she had going through that mind of hers. The other material is from the main computers at the military base…along with some nice photos taken from the security cameras." Ed turned to Senator Allen, folded his arms and with a look of someone who won a major victory retorted, "Check mate."  
  
Senator Allen sneered at Ed, "You're bluffing."  
  
"As a scientist I deal with hard facts and indisputable evidence," Ed turned to look at Darien, "But Darien, he's an ex-con, bluffing is a part of life for him. What you have to figure out is whether or not he's bluffing, with me, it should be pretty damn obvious. " Ed peered down at Senator Allen, "You need more proof," Ed pulled up the sleeve on the blue 'Pepsi' jacket he borrowed from Darien and removed one of his bandages. Underneath was the mangled flesh of his wrist, skin torn off in some areas showing tissue that normally lies beneath it and marked with assorted colors of the rainbow. Senator Allen looked in disgust as did the President. "I've got three more just like it, plus other assorted bumps and bruises and a hole in my head where quicksilver was milked from me like I was a cow." Ed paused for a moment as Senator Allen had the appearance of someone in deep thought about what to do next. "Still think I'm bluffing?" Ed said in a tone that showed he was daring the Senator to deny any involvement.  
  
"How sure are you of your theory, Dr. Tate?" The President asked.  
  
Ed folded his arms in front of him, "On a scale of one to ten with ten being certain…I'd say I'm 9.8 certain that the dominants are not the result of natural evolution but man made."  
  
"But if the dominants where human and their DNA was altered, wouldn't that give you mixed results?" The Senator asked.  
  
"No, not really. Look, the DNA of chimps is about 95% close to human DNA. There are about three billion base pairs in the human genome. Dominants have about twice that many, but like the chimps whose DNA is so closely related to ours, it's the same with the dominants. Only their genome or DNA strand is more compact than ours. We may have about 50,000 base pairs for every 5,000 turns where as dominants have about 100,000 for every 5,000 turns. They also have twice as many chromosomes. Add all that up and that would account for the differences between our two species. They're more advanced mentally and physically so naturally their DNA would be the same. But the similarities in DNA are still there because we are their natural ancestors whether they evolved naturally or by man."  
  
"What would you need to do to be 100% certain?" The President asked.  
  
"I'd have to do DNA comparative testing on dominants as well as humans. It could take a couple of years to come up with definitive proof."  
  
"That's good enough for me. Gentlemen, this project is of the utmost secrecy. Dr. Tate, when can you start your…"  
  
"Sir…excuse me for interrupting but I'll need funding for this type of research," Ed informed with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Did he really want to get involved in such research? The dominants clearly have tried to hide their true origins for a reason. Ed felt that he was going to open a whole new can of worms and he was sure he wouldn't like what he might find.  
  
"Don't worry about the funding, Dr. Tate. I'm sure Senator Allen will sponsor it." The President looked at the Senator with a cross expression, "Won't you, Senator?"  
  
"Ah…yes, sir." The Senator's voice sounded overpowered.   
  
The President sat back down and talked into the intercom, "Mrs. Matthews, please have Mr. Tate and the press come back inside now." Everyone in the room watched as the press took their positions again. Ed looked at Darien with confusion. Darien shrugged his shoulders, he could read the President's mind but that would make him no better than Ms. Welsh and her cohorts. He would wait and see what happens.  
  
The President gripped the bill in his hand and he stared at it for a moment. He looked up, "Ladies, gentlemen, our country holds firm the idea that you're innocent until proven guilty…"  
  
Darien rolled his eyes. 'Great, a judicial speech, like I haven't heard this before,' he thought to himself.  
  
"…You have the right to a fair trial by a jury of your peers. A conviction is handed down by a jury because they have unreasonable doubt that you are guilty. If there is a hint of doubt a juror cannot say in true conscious that the defendant is guilty…"  
  
Now it was Ed's turn to roll his eyes. "Just get on with it," he muttered to himself.  
  
"…And it is because of this principle that I have decided to veto the Dominant Registration Bill…"  
  
Ed closed his eyes and lowered his head. Senator Allen was displeased and it showed. Darien smiled and shook his head proudly. Jonathan was in shock. Light bulbs flashed in the room as the President signed his name indicating that he had vetoed the bill. Some reporters asked why he had changed his mind.  
  
"Let's just say the sudden…reappearance…of Dr. Ed Tate has led me to believe that we need to take a closer look at what we're doing. With the evidence that has been presented to me, I'm calling on a full investigation into the events of Dr. Tate's alleged death. At this point, I would also like to reopen talks with the new species on co-existence negotiations. Ladies and gentlemen, that is all."  
  
Darien patted Ed on the back, "Good job, man. You *are* the King of the Smartypants." Ed forced a smile of gratitude, "Thanks, Darien."  
  
"Ain't no biggie braddah," Darien replied with a soft chuckle.   
  
"Totally," Ed replied half heartedly. He was exhausted and in discomfort. All he wanted to do was get out of there and curl up in a corner somewhere. With the room being crowded he started to feel an anxiety attack coming on. Reporters and photographers had again descended upon him, flashing pictures and asking him questions. He saw his father approach him and he relaxed somewhat.  
  
Jonathan pushed his way through the crowd, "Leave him alone," he said in a commanding tone. Some secret service agents came back in and kindly pushed the press out of the office. Ed was grateful to see them leave, his heart had started to pound and he was afraid the gland would kick in. What a news headline that would be. Jonathan looked at his son once more, "Son, what happened?"  
  
"I can't tell you dad, it's classified…never thought I'd hear myself say that," Ed said with a half hearted smile.  
  
The President's secretary came in and interrupted the small gathering as the press was leaving. "Sir, Dr. Walter Attwood and three other people are with him. One of them is Dr. Sloan Parker."  
  
"Send them in," the President said. He walked over to Senator Allen, "Senator, please don't even think about leaving the area." The Senator in a beaten tone answered, "Yes, sir."  
  
Walter, Sloan, Claire and Irene walked in. "Ed!" Irene cried out when she saw him talking to Jonathan. Ed turned and saw her face go from joy to sudden shock. "Oh my God!" She held her hand up to her face at the awful appearance of her son, "What did they do to you?"   
  
Sloan's eyes watered up, the last time she saw Ed look horrible was when he had the Spanish Flu, but this was even worse. Claire walked over to him as he hugged Irene. Walter walked over to the President who was talking to Darien at the moment.   
  
Irene cradled her son's face in her hands, "Look at you…" tears weld up in her eyes as she shook her head, "Who did this to you?"  
  
"I can't tell you that, but…I'm going to be alright," Ed said with anxiety in his voice.   
  
She forced a smile, "Edward, I'm your mother, I know when you're lying."  
  
"I wish I could tell you, but I can't."  
  
She shook her head as she brushed a stray strand of hair from his face, "Okay, but I can still give you TLC that only a mother can give…" She glanced over at Claire and turned her gaze back to Ed, "…and of course a loving a wife."  
  
Ed smiled, "I love you, mom."  
  
"I love you too," she hugged him and then let him loose so he could go to Claire.   
  
Claire looked around waiting for the hands to come up and grab him like in her dream. Plus she was confused because he was wearing Darien's clothes. Before she knew it, she felt hands on her and they were warm…it wasn't a dream. "Ed?" She asked cautiously.   
  
"It's me." Before she could respond he covered her mouth with his. His hands were planted firmly on the sides of her face. Her arms wrapped around his neck and the kiss deepened. Their lips pressed hard against each other. After a few moments, they broke the kiss and panted for air.  
  
Claire looked into his eyes and her own eyes began to water, "I can't believe it…I thought I'd lost you….I…" she was cut off by Ed's mouth covering hers again.  
  
"Ahem, you happen to be in the Oval Office."  
  
Ed broke off the kiss and saw Sloan. They hugged. "You don't know how good it is to see you again, Ed," Sloan said through her tears. Ed hugged her tighter.  
  
Irene had walked up to Senator Allen. "Mrs. Tate…"  
  
"It's Ms. Morgan."  
  
"I'm really grateful that…"  
  
"Don't patronize me, Senator. You're lucky we're in the Oval Office or else I would be showing you how I really feel. I know you had something to do with this. You reap what you sow, Senator, you best remember that." Irene turned on her heels and went back to her son. She wasn't going to waste another moment on him.   
  
The President hung up the phone and came up to Ed. "Dr. Tate, I'm not a doctor but I would say that you need medical attention. I have arranged for you to be taken to George Washington University Hospital to be examined."  
  
Walter took the President off to the side, "Sir, there's a matter of national security that should be taken into consideration. I believe that the only doctor qualified here to give Ed the medical treatment he requires is Dr. Keeply. Ed's Keeper is shall we say, not available."  
  
"Understand."   
  
Darien and Ed had stared at each other in disbelief at the way Walter took the President aside. "You get the feeling that Walter is buds with the President?" Darien pondered.  
  
"Walter is as mysterious as the Official. I just didn't realize how much until now. I know I've said this to you before, but I still wonder what he was up to all those years he was at the lab before the new species was discovered," Ed retorted. Darien looked at Ed. He still didn't know. But it wasn't for him to tell, that was Walter's job.   
  
The President approached Claire, "Dr. Keeply, given the secrecy of the situation. Would you be able to treat Dr. Tate?"  
  
Ed looked shock. Claire glanced at the Ed and met him with the same expression. "Well, I uh…sure, yes, I will treat Ed...er…Dr. Tate."   
  
"Good, there are cars waiting out front to take all of you to the hospital. I will also have my staff get you room reservations at the nearest hotel."  
  
Claire's eyes connected with Ed's for a moment. His eyes were distant and his face wore a deep frown. 'I think I have more to treat than his physical wounds,' she glanced at his weary features as he greeted Walter, 'My darling, what did they put you through?' She wondered to herself as she watched the others start to gather around him. He started to look uncomfortable. She watched as his eyes darted nervously from one person to another as if he was expecting someone to hurt him in some way. She figured it had something to do with what happened to him. A deep distressed sigh escaped her lips. She had to do something to get him out of the stressful situation, she was afraid he would loose it. Even Darien gave her a quick glance that Ed needed help.  
  
Claire pushed her way through and gently took hold of Ed's arm, "Okay, everyone, he's officially my patient and I need to take care of him. So if you would excuse us, I have work to do." She could feel Ed's body trembling as she walked him away from the small group. "It's okay, honey, you're safe. They were not going to hurt you."  
  
Ed glanced at her with petrified eyes, and his breathing was short and rapid. "I…know, it's just…that…"  
  
"Shh," Claire put her finger up to his lips, "You don't have to talk about it now. We have plenty of time for that later. Just remember that they are people who love you very much and they were just glad to see you back…that's all." Ed shook his head that he understood, but he was still very visibly shaken up by being surrounded like that. It reminded him of the scientists that would crowd around him during the early stages of quicksilver madness to run their scans and tests. To him, that meant more pain and more needles.  
  
Irene gave Senator Allen a look of sheer anger and if her look could kill, the Senator would have dropped dead right then and there. She had seen the change in her son when they all crowded around him, the fear that flowed into his eyes and how he suddenly broke out in sweat. She turned her attention to Darien, "Thank you, Darien, for finding him and bringing him back to us alive." She glanced back at Senator Allen, "At least I know who I can trust." She gave Darien a kiss on his cheek and whispered in his ear, "Please watch him."  
  
"I will," Darien whispered back and felt her arms tighten around him.  
  
Everyone individually thanked the President as they were escorted out of the Oval Office. They walked through the West Wing towards the entrance that Darien and Ed had entered earlier. Darien stopped in the hall and watched Ed. He let out a long cleansing sigh.  
  
A 19th century American poet by the name of Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: 'What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.' This couldn't be any truer for a man by the name of Ed Tate. He's faced adversity that even he couldn't imagine. Yeah, he's had his share of bumps and bruises, but he never stayed down for the long count. They say that a measure of a man is what he does when no one's looking. But for Ed, the measure of what kind of man he is is how he's able to make lemonade from lemons. History may remember him as a scientist who figured out a way to change the DNA of dominants but who refused to use it in the end, seeing co-existence as the only real option for both sides. Is that Nobel Prize material? Only time will tell. But one thing I do know is that through it all, Ed will come out of this stronger and more determined to find the answers than ever before. Cause deep down inside he has what it takes to get back on his feet again. And that's the true measure of a man.  
  
Darien raced to catch up to his friends. He bounced joyfully in front of Ed who had his arm around Claire. In a sudden burst of jubilation, Darien threw his arms in the air victoriously. There was hope again.  
  
The End…for now. 


End file.
